Leopard fear spreads along Mahanandi forest area

Nandyal : District Collector Dr K Srinivasulu has alerted the villagers residing along Mahanandi forest area, in the wake of leopard attacking people. He ordered the officials to beat drums in villages for three days continuously.

Along with Joint Collector T Rahul Kumar Reddy, Forest Deputy Director Anurag Meena and Divisional Forest Officer Shiva Shankar Reddy, the Collector addressed a meeting on leopard movements and precautionary measures to be taken, at Centenary Hall here on Wednesday.

Collector Srinivasulu said that leopard’s movements have been detected near Nalamalla forest and villagers residing alongside the forest zone are gripped in fear. He ordered the mandal Tahsildar concerned to beat drums for three days in the villages of three mandals - Rudravaram, Sirivella and Mahanandi to alert people about the leopard movements. The officials of forest department were told to take stern steps to prevent anyone entering into the forest area.

The Collector said around four persons have encountered the big cat attacks. The personnel engaged at forest checkpost were ordered to be alert all the time and keep an eye on people entering into the forest. The forest department officials informed the Collector that they are on the job to catch the leopard that killed a woman near Pecharla forest area. They are tracking leopard movements through CCTV cameras. Bones were also set up, forest officials informed.