Hyderabad: Forests minister Konda Surekha instructed department officials on Saturday to be prepared for any situation arising from elephants venturing into Telangana state from Maharashtra or Chhattisgarh. She stressed on the need for specific action plans and readiness to deal with such occurrences, as per a release from her office.
Surekha, while referring to a male elephant straying into KB Asifabad district from Maharashtra four days ago, resulting in the death of two people, noted that the pachyderm had returned to Maharashtra following the efforts of foresters.
This is the first instance of a wild elephant straying into the state. Surekha praised the coordinated efforts of officials in ensuring the safe return of the animal to its habitat.
The government announced Rs 10 lakh as ex gratia to the families of the deceased victims. Forest officials closely tracked the elephant's movements for three days to prevent any further untoward incidents.
