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In a heart-wrenching incident on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border, two Asha workers, Vasanta (37) from Anniala village and Ashwathamma (40) from Dasarapalli village, lost their lives when elephants trampled them while working on an estate. The Anekal range forest officer, Bharat Kumar, reported the incident that occurred around 8 am in a Tamil Nadu village situated on the border of Anekal forest range in Karnataka.
The elephants, searching for food and water, strayed into nearby villages, and on their return to the forest, attacked the two women. Efforts to chase away the elephants involved collaboration between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu forest officers, patrolling jointly at night.
Elephants had been seen in the Gummalapur, Anniyallu, and Gandi areas in the days leading up to the incident. Despite villagers’ attempts to drive them away, the elephants attacked and killed three cows along with the two Asha workers.
Elephants Attack 2 Asha workers on Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border. Outraged villagers, led by local MLA Ramachandra, staged a roadblock, demanding swift action and accountability from the forest department. Their requests included a compensation of ₹20 lakh for each victim’s family and government jobs for family members. The roadblock was resolved after police intervention.
Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre expressed the state government’s commitment to addressing the human-elephant conflict. He announced the formation of an expert committee to study and devise solutions for the issue. Khandre emphasized the importance of safeguarding elephant corridors and highlighted ongoing efforts such as the installation of railway barricades along a 640-km stretch.
This tragic incident adds to the growing concern of elephant attacks in Karnataka’s forest areas. The government’s initiatives aim to mitigate such conflicts and protect both human lives and property from future incidents.
