BEWARE OF ELEPHANTS !

Madikeri January 4, 2006

Boards like ,”Beware of dogs” hanging in front of houses in Kodagu is a common.

However, a different board appears now in some corners of the district, attracting the attention of people.

Villagers of Banavara in Somwarpet taluk have fixed a board warning people not to venture into the roads between Six and eight for the fear of Elephants.

The villagers are fed up of requesting the forest officials to save them from the fear of pachyderms, which are on an attacking spree. Few had to die and many were injured due to the attack by elephants in this region since years. They complain that the department is doing very little to protect lives or their crops.

To avoid elephant attack on humans to certain extent, these kinds of boards welcome the villagers who take a stroll at night.

HOME STAY COULD TURN INTO HIDEOUT FOR TERRORISTS

Former minister M.C. Nanaiah cautioned the district administration to streamline the growing Home Stay concept in the district. He cautioned that the home stay facility could turn into hiding place for terrorists and Naxalites since they are not accountable. Nobody knows who is enters the district and stays in more than one thousand Home Stay facilities being offered even in remote corners of the hilly district.

He reminded that naxalites are already found in bordering districts like Udupi and Chikmagalur.

M.C.Nanaiah told in a press conference that the district needs no Hydel projects. He appealed to all the political leaders not to support any such moves since they will cause environmental imbalance.

Asserting that Patels government during his tenure had Okayed only run of the river projects in the state, they had not recommended any Hydel projects which invites blocking of water.

Commenting on H.D.Devegowda meeting Vajapayee, Nanaiah ridiculed by saying that politics has stooped down to a dirty level. He recalled the comments of DeveGowda after joining hands with congress that he does so to oppose the ideals of BJP.

KILLED IN ACCIDENT;

An auto driver from Kushalnagar died in a hospital after hit by a tanker.

According to police, a Tanker driver went amuck and hit an auto riksha and a quails vehicle at Kushalnagar on the night of 2nd and escaped.

Auto driver Basheer and a passenger Venktesh were seriously injured and shifted to Mysore hospital. Basher died yesterday in the hospital. Venktesh is undergoing treatment.

Tanker driver Topanna and the cleaner are arrested by police.