Woman killed by tiger: Forest officials issue SOP for villagers in Asifabad

According to the procedure, villagers are advised not to use forest footpaths. They are also not to raise objections to gates set up by the Forest department along routes passing through forests. They have to engage in far activities only in groups of at least eight to 10 persons and have to be escorted by a sentry. Farmers have to stand guard over their crops only by staying on a machan and not on the ground.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Forest officials have issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) to villagers in the light of killing of a woman by tiger at Easgaon village in Kagaznagar mandal on Friday.

According to the procedure, villagers are advised not to use forest footpaths. They are also not to raise objections to gates set up by the Forest department along routes passing through forests. They have to engage in far activities only in groups of at least eight to 10 persons and have to be escorted by a sentry. Farmers have to stand guard over their crops only by staying on a machan and not on the ground.

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Shepherds are not allowed to enter deeper into forests than 500 metres from their villages. They are advised to graze cattle between 10 am and 4 pm. Village protection committees comprising Sarpanch, FBO and a policeman should be formed. Members of the committee are supposed to alert the Forest officials if they spot pugmarks of a tiger and movement of tigers. The committees were also told to buy whistles and drums required to do tom-tom announcements for the people of a village.