Mysore: Amid rising leopard attacks, authorities in Karnataka's Mysore have asked farmers to complete the harvesting of sugarcane within the next 15 days to expedite the capturing of the big cat. The guidelines have been issued by District Collector Dr. KV Rajendra. In the guidelines, the District Collector has instructed the concerned officials to take action to ensure the completion of harvesting of sugarcane within the next 15 days in the border area of Narasipur and adjoining Nanjanagudu taluk.
An emergency meeting was held at the District Collector's office on Sunday on the issue. The district collector sought information about the area where sugarcane cultivation is taking place in T. Narasipur taluk.
Responding to this, Ballari Amman Sugar Factory Working President of Nanjangud informed the District Collector that the sugarcane crop is ready in an area of about 200 acres. The DC directed to augment the existing 19 teams to 30 teams and take immediate action to harvest a maximum of 60 tonnes of sugarcane per day.
Also read: 11-year-old boy killed in suspected leopard attack in Mysuru
He directed the Joint Director of the Food and Supplies Department and T.Naraseepur Tehsildar to monitor the progress report of daily harvest statistics and instructed them to submit a daily report to the Collector's office in this regard. The DC ordered sugarcane harvesting in 40 villages under the jurisdiction of 23 Gram Panchayats of T Narseepur Taluk.
The sugarcane harvest is being expedited in order to facilitate the capturing of the leopard amid rising attacks by the animal in the area. On Sunday, officials said that an 11-year-old boy was mauled to death in a suspected leopard attack in Horalhalli village of T. Naraseepur taluk in Mysore. The deceased identified as Jayanth had gone missing from Horalahalli village on Saturday evening and his mauled body was found on the outskirts of the village, police said.
As per officials, four people have been killed in leopard attacks in Mysore district's T. Naraseepur taluk in the past two months. Apart from the minor boy Jayanth, Manjunath (18), a youth from Madgar Lingayyanhundi, and a young woman named Meghna (22) of S. Kebbehundi village were killed in a leopard attack on December 1.
