Garhwal Post Bureau
PAURI GARHWAL, 4 Apr: A young child was recently killed after being attacked by a leopard in Bhatkot village under Timli Gram Sabha in the Kolagad area of Pokhra block of District Pauri Garhwal, triggering widespread grief and concern among local residents.
State Congress president Ganesh Godiyal on Saturday visited the bereaved family along with party workers and met the relatives to offer condolences and assess the situation on the ground. During the visit, he expressed deep anguish over the incident and criticised the State government and the Forest Department for what he described as continued inaction despite repeated warnings over increasing wildlife attacks in mountainous regions.
Godiyal stated that the Congress party has consistently raised concerns regarding the rising number of attacks by wild animals on villagers in remote areas, but alleged that the Government has failed to respond adequately. He observed that such incidents are steadily increasing, posing a serious threat not only to human life but also to agriculture and horticulture, which remain the primary sources of livelihood in hill districts. He further remarked that several innocent lives have been lost in similar incidents in recent years, leaving families devastated and facing irreparable loss.
Referring to the broader pattern reported in regional and national media, Godiyal pointed out that incidents involving leopards, have been on the rise across districts such as Pauri, Tehri and Almora, with experts attributing the trend to shrinking forest habitats, increasing human encroachment and depletion of natural prey. He alleged that despite these warning signs, the state authorities had failed to implement effective mitigation strategies, including improved surveillance, rapid response teams and awareness measures in vulnerable villages.
He further stated that the prevailing situation had created an atmosphere of fear in the hill areas, where residents, particularly children and women, remain at constant risk while carrying out daily activities. Criticising what he termed as administrative apathy, he said the government and the Forest Department appeared insensitive to the gravity of the issue, even as lives continued to be lost.
Godiyal warned that if immediate and effective steps were not taken to curb such incidents, the Congress party would be compelled to intensify its agitation from the streets up to the level of State Assembly. He demanded that adequate compensation be provided without delay to the victim’s family and called for concrete measures to control the movement of wild animals in human settlements.
