Cops begin probe into forest staffers’ drowning in Kabini

Lakshmikantha BK | Apr 28, 2020, 04:30 IST

Mysuru: The district police has started an investigation into the death of two forest staffers in Kabini backwaters in HD Kote taluk recently. The probe was ordered by forest minister Anand Singh after their family members expressed suspicion over their death.
Mysuru circle chief conservator of forests (CCF) T Hiralal told TOI that an FIR has been lodged in the jurisdictional police station. The police would probe the incident, he said.
Forest guesthouse caretaker Mahesh and watcher Shivakumar had drowned in Kabini waters on Friday night, leading to suspicion. There are allegations that they were asked by senior forest officials to get fish for them from the backwaters, which the minister also said will be probed.
Meanwhile, noted wildlife conservationist Sanjay Gubbi in a Facebook post has demanded the government to provide wildlife allowance (hardship allowance) to all semi-permanent and temporary staff working in protected areas like being given to permanent forest staff.
He stated that the tragic death of two forest staffers while carrying out their duty in Kabini backwaters of Bandipur-Nagarahole tiger reserves is truly saddening.
Gubbi stated that the incident highlights the risk the frontline forest staff are facing daily. “Assault by poachers, timber smugglers and encroachers have become common. Despite these attacks, they have risked their lives to conserve the natural heritage of this country,” he said.
“The government should extend benefits such as medical, insurance and jobs on compensatory grounds, and ex-gratia payment to all temporary forest staff. The same has to be extended to semi-permanent staff such as those employed under the Kshemabhivruddhi scheme. In the Kabini backwaters, nylon fishing nets have killed many wildlife species in the past. In December 2009, a tusker got entangled in a fishing net and luckily escaped from drowning,” he said.