CONSTRUCTION STOPPED NEAR TIGER RESERVE

Two days after a big cat mauled a farmer to death near the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR), forest and administrative officials have banned any new construction with in 500 metres of the reserve .

As many as 10 people have died in feline attacks this year.

Claiming human encroachment in the area near the forest as the most “obvious” reason for rise in such attacks, the divisional forest officer of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) Kailash Prakash said, “All new constructions within 500 metres of the tiger reserve have been stopped with immediate effect. No private body or person will be allowed to construct permanent structures in the area.”

The decision was taken in a joint meeting of forest and administrative officials of the district on Friday which was held in the wake of the recent death of a farmer in tiger attack earlier this week. “The meeting was held to discuss proposed plans to prevent or minimize such attacks in future,” said the DFO. Out of the several plans proposed, the district officials gave a go ahead to ban new constructions.

The officials also agreed on increasing awareness about the such attacks in the villages falling within 500 m radius of the forest. “We have deployed four teams along with volunteers who are spreading awareness about such attacks in villages near the reserve,” said the DFO.