Safety of people is top priority, efforts will continue to ensure protection of every individual: CM Yogi

Lucknow/Bahraich : Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Sunday, visited Bahraich and conducted an aerial survey of the region before meeting with the families of those who lost their lives in the recent wolf attacks during the human-wildlife conflict. He also met with the injured and inquired about their well-being.

The Chief Minister assessed the relief efforts, including the compensation provided, medical injections for the injured, the health of affected families, and the education of their children.

While addressing the media, CM Yogi emphasized that the safety of the public is the government’s top priority. He assured that the Forest Department, along with the district administration and police teams, will continue working in the area until the threat is fully eliminated.

CM Yogi Adityanath said, “The government has classified human-wildlife conflict as a disaster. In the event of loss of life, an immediate compensation of Rs 5 lakh is provided to the victim’s family. Anti-rabies treatment has also been available for those injured in wild animal attacks.”

He added, “25 teams, comprising 165 personnel from the Forest Department, have been deployed to ensure public safety, along with four thermal drones for monitoring. The primary objective is to capture the wolf safely. However, if the animal’s aggressive behavior escalates or poses a threat to human life, orders have been issued to shoot it as a last resort, with other measures being prioritized first.”

CM Yogi added further, “There have been casualties in the Mahasi assembly constituency, located near the river, due to wolf attacks over the past two months. Several children have also been injured. Upon receiving the first reports from public representatives, the administration was directed to launch a comprehensive campaign, after which the Forest Minister and department officials were dispatched with a response team.”

CM Yogi further shared that within a 20-25 km radius, eight people have lost their lives in the last two months, and five wolves have been successfully captured so far, though one remains elusive.

He emphasized that the area is prone to wild animal incidents, particularly during this season when the floods force animals to migrate closer to human settlements in search of prey, leading to attacks where vulnerable targets are found.

The Chief Minister explained that the first incident occurred on July 17, when a wolf attacked a one-year-old child, and the attacks continued intermittently every four to five days. The most recent fatality was reported on September 1, and while an attack on a child was reported on September 2-3, no further incidents have occurred since.

CM Yogi Adityanath stated that, to date, the central and state governments have provided housing to 56 lakh underprivileged individuals in Uttar Pradesh. He said, “All affected families in this region have permanent homes, although some lacked doors at the entrance. Provisions were made to install doors using additional funds. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, each family was given a toilet. For those who still lacked this facility, additional toilets have been arranged. Lighting and regular patrolling have also been ensured for safety.”

The Chief Minister directed that eligible individuals, who are yet to receive housing should be immediately provided homes under the Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana. He also instructed that all eligible beneficiaries should be prioritized for essential services like housing, toilets, Ayushman health cards, and ration cards through special camps.

CM Yogi interacted warmly with the children during his visit, asking their names and distributing chocolates. He also inquired about their education, including their schools and classes.

During this, Minister of State for Forests (Independent Charge) Dr Arun Kumar Saxena, Minister of State for Forests KP Malik, Bahraich MP Anand Kumar, MLAs Sureshvar Singh, Subhash Tripathi, Anupama Jaiswal, Saroj Sonkar, Ramniwas Verma, Legislative Council member Padmasen Chaudhary, Pragya Tripathi etc. were present.