Idukki: On the day of polling for the Lok Sabha elections, the voters from Chinnakanal 301 colony in Idukki had a daunting path ahead. They had to trudge 5 km to the poll booth at Chempakathozhu Government LP School. Distance wasn't the major concern. There were 18 wild elephants roaming around the area on the way to the polling booth.
They wouldn't have known this but for the Whatsapp community managed by the Chinnakanal Rapid Response team. They solely relied on the group to receive live updates about the location of the elephants and chose safe paths to reach the booth and cast their votes.
A special RRT was formed in the Chinnakanal region with an increase in the incidence of wild elephant attacks. The team consists of four uniformed staff, eight watchers and one driver at Chinnakanal RRT. The WhatsApp community was formed by including local residents, officials and journalists living in Chinnakanal. Currently, there are 1,025 members in this WhatsApp group.
Through this group, information about the location of the elephants and the location of the RRT team is sent to the group as a voice message. Also, photos of elephants are posted in the group. This team works to minimise the damage caused by elephants and ensure the safety of local residents.
Devikulam Range Officer Vegi P V said that the work of RRT and the service of WhatsApp group are useful to the public. If more elephants come to the inhabited area, the RRT team goes there, bursts firecrackers and drives away the elephants back to the forest. Although the RRT team cannot reach every place, the public can be informed exactly where the elephant is stationed.
“Since the formation of the WhatsApp group, it is now possible to know the presence of elephants and drive them away into the forest. RRT services are also available where elephants cross the road,” said Antony, a resident of Chinnakanal.
