Bring Kumki elephants early to check jumbo menace in Manyam district

VIJAYAWADA: CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna wrote a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Sunday requesting the latter to take steps to address the elephant menace being faced by the people of Parvatipuram Manyam district.

He said farmers of Manyam district are suffering crop damages due to the elephant menace and 12 persons were killed by the elephants since 2017. Ramakrishna recalled that the AP government held talks with Karnataka government to get Kumki elephants, which can control the wild elephants. He said the elephant menace in Manyam district can be checked by Kumki elephants and requested Pawan Kalyan to take measures to get Kukmi elephants at the earliest. Kumki elephants are trained elephants and are used to check the wild elephants’ problem in the country.

Ramakrishna said two herds of elephants which come from forests are creating havoc in the Agency areas of Manyam district by destroying crops and attacking the local people.

He said 12 persons including children and farmers died in elephant attacks since 2017 and farmers suffered crop loss of Rs 6 crore and most of the victims are still waiting for the payment of compensation by the government.

He felt the district officials are taking serious steps to check the elephants’ problem and save the crops and people from attacks by jumbos.

The CPI leader also said children in the Agency areas are not going to the schools due to fear of elephants and people are not going outside to purchase groceries and hospitals for the treatment due to fear of elephants.

Ramakrishna requested the Deputy Chief Minister to get Kumki elephants from Karnataka as early as possible and check the elephant menance in Manyam district. Efforts should be made to send the wild elephants to conservation centres or forest, he said.