Idukki diocese demands ₹50 lakh compensation for wild animal attack deaths

March 12, 2024 09:05 pm | Updated 09:05 pm IST - IDUKKI

The Idukki diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church on Tuesday took out a march and held a protest meeting at Poopara in Idukki, demanding a permanent solution to human-animal conflict issues in the district.

Inaugurating the protest meeting at Poopara, Bishop Mar John Nellikkunnel said that the government should take immediate steps to prevent wild animal attacks and raise the compensation for death following wildlife attacks to ₹50 lakh.

“The government should take steps to amend the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The government is trying to prevent the farmers’ protests by registering fake cases against people’s representatives and people,” said the bishop.

“In Idukki, the farmers cannot enter their farms for fear of wild animal attacks. The plantation workers are also afraid of engaging in their daily work,” said the bishop.

Not encroachers

He further said that the farmers in the district were not encroachers. “They are settler farmers, and environment lovers,” said the bishop.

Catholic Congress Idukki diocese president George Koyikkal said that the real reason for the wild animal attacks was the increase in the number of wild animals. “The Forest department has failed to ensure food and water availability inside the forest areas,” he said.

Before the protest meeting, a rally was taken out from Murikkumthotty, near the Estate junction, to Poopara Town. Idukki diocese vicar general Jose Plachikal, Catholic Congress diocese general secretary Sijo Elanthoor, media commission chairman Fr. Jins Karakkat, and others attended the meeting.