By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 8 Jan: Incidents of human-wildlife conflicts continue in Uttarakhand on a regular basis even as people have been raising continuous concern over such incidents. Yet another such incident, has claimed life of an elderly couple in Upper Jolly Grant near Doiwala here today. An elderly couple, who had ventured into the forest to collect grass, was trampled to death by an elephant in this incident. The incident has left the local community in shock and mourning.
Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal has expressed his condolences over the tragic deaths of Rajendra Panwar (70) and his wife Sushila Devi (65). He has also directed forest officials to expedite the ex-gratia payment to the bereaved family and ensure measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
According to reports, the couple, who regularly collected grass from the forest, entered the forest area early this morning. Tragically, an elephant attacked them, leaving both fatally injured. Their lifeless bodies were discovered by other villagers who had also gone to the forest for collection of fodder grass. The forest department was alerted immediately, and officials rushed to the scene.
The victims’ bodies were retrieved and transported to the mortuary at Himalayan Hospital Jolly Grant, where they await post-mortem examination.
This incident has heightened concerns among residents living near forested areas. Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal has instructed forest officials to increase surveillance in villages adjacent to forest zones. He has also urged residents to exercise caution when venturing into forest areas, emphasising the unpredictable nature of wildlife.
