Asifabad Tiger attack: Youth’s brave act goes in vain

The stick-wielded youngster, Annam Chakravarthy, lunged at the tiger, following which it let go off the girl and scampered into the forest. Carrying profusely bleeding Pasula Nirmala (18) in his arms, Chakravarthy too ran for his life.

Penchikalpet (Asifabad): A cousin of the girl killed by a tiger in Kondapalli village showed exemplary courage to save the girl by charging at the big cat but in vain.

The stick-wielded youngster, Annam Chakravarthy, lunged at the tiger, following which it let go off the girl and scampered into the forest. Carrying profusely bleeding Pasula Nirmala (18) in his arms, Chakravarthy too ran for his life.

“Nirmala was plucking cotton. She was behind her coworkers and raised an alarm after the tiger attacked her. She was dragged by the big cat for about 20 meters from the field and I could see that,” Chakravarthy recalled.

The 22-year-old said he could free the girl from the jaws and claws of the tiger by making noises and swinging the stick. He had earlier seen tigers in forests but never faced a ferocious one like this before. He said they would move away generally, recalling that it was a fully grown and adult tiger.

Mustering his courage, as the tiger withdrew into the forest, he carried Nirmala to the nearby agriculture field. Villagers say the tiger could have eaten the girl had he not scared it away with the stick.

Another witness Pasula Ramanna, Nirmala’s sibling, said he was frozen with fear and was rendered speechless as the tiger attacked her. “I was standing about 20 meters away from the spot. I too heard the alarm raised by my sister but I was helpless. I could not spot the wild animal which disappeared in a moment,” he said.

Enhance compensation, say rights activists

Experts and activists of tribal rights organisations felt that the ex-gratia given to kin of victims killed by tiger should be increased from the existing Rs 5 lakh.

Srinivas, a tribal rights organisation member, opined that the government must enhance the compensation as practised by Karnataka and Maharashtra. The neighbouring States are giving somewhere between Rs 8 lakh and Rs 15 lakh. The government can issue an order, raising the aid. Though the monetary help would not match the loss, it will bring respite to the kin of victims, he reasoned.

Seeking anonymity, an expert, who is involved in conservation of tigers, said, “The ex gratia is extended with the help of grants earmarked from the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). State government can offer compensation and enhance the amount.”

Field director of Kawal Tiger Project CP Vinod Kumar told Telangana Today that they would recommend the government to increase the ex gratia. He stated that legislator Konappa brought this issue to the notice of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, who was likely to take a positive decision on this soon. He added that there was no cap on compensation.

 

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