Idukki, 30 Sept (H.S.): Residents living along forest boundaries in Idukki district have been advised to remain indoors between 6 pm and 6 am following wild elephant attacks, including four deaths in Chinnakanal over the past month.

The district collector has also directed plantation operators and employers not to engage workers in estate work during these hours. The instructions come amid concern over attacks by wild animals, particularly elephants, in settlements bordering forests.

The district administration said the advisory was issued following an escalation in elephant attacks in Chinnakanal, where all four recent victims encountered elephants after stepping outside at night.

Officials said the precautions were intended to prevent residents from being caught in similar situations and reduce the risk of further fatalities. The advisory asks people in vulnerable areas to avoid outdoor movement throughout the evening and overnight period.

The restriction on nighttime plantation work forms part of the same precautionary measures. By directing employers not to deploy labourers after dark, the administration is seeking to limit workers’ exposure to wild animals during the hours covered by the warning.

The deaths in Chinnakanal have highlighted the dangers faced by people living close to forests, particularly when they leave their homes at night. The administration cited the circumstances of those incidents while explaining the need for the advisory.

Although the recent fatalities were reported in Chinnakanal, the warning is addressed to residents of forest boundary areas across Idukki. It covers the 12 hours from evening until the following morning.

The administration said the instructions were intended to prevent encounters similar to those that claimed four lives within a month. The two measures address nighttime movement by residents and plantation work, both of which can bring people into areas where wild animals are present. The advisory follows the recent fatal incidents in Chinnakanal.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman