A woman died following an elephant attack at Vadur village in Sakaleshpur taluk of Hassan on Friday morning. Kavitha, 37, an agricultural labourer, was found seriously injured near her house. She succumbed a couple of hours later at the government hospital in Hassan.
According to locals, Kavitha had gone out of her house to answer nature’s call when she came under attack. Kavitha, who lost her husband due to health reasons a few months ago, is survived by two sons, working in bakeries in Hyderabad. Following her husband’s death, she had returned to her mother’s place and was earning her living by working in coffee estates.
More than 90 people have died in elephant attacks in Hassan district in the last 20 years. Representatives of pro-Kannada organisations staged a protest at the mortuary in Hassan, condemning the deaths. They urged the State Government to take measures to stop the elephant menace. The Forest Department officials met the family members.
Sakaleshpur RFO Shilpa S.L. said the staff had alerted the locals about the movement of elephants in advance. “It is an unfortunate incident. The department will give the ex-gratia amount of ₹15 lakh to her two children. The amount will be shared between them equally,” she said.
More than 70 elephants, spread over three-four herds, have been roaming in parts of Sakaleshpur, Belur, Alur, Yeslur ranges in Hassan. The herds keep damaging the crops, causing a huge loss to farmers. Whenever such incidents happen, the locals stage protests and demand a permanent solution to the problem. The State government has constituted elephant task forces to monitor the movement of herds and ensure the safety of people.
