Consumer body urges fencing of Kotagiri tahsildar office premises

A consumer protection association from Kotagiri has urged the Nilgiris district administration to take measures to secure the premises surrounding the tahsildar office in Kotagiri from wild animals that have been seen and photographed recently.

In a complaint to the Collector, the Blue Mountain Consumer Protection Sangam–Kotagiri, said that there were multiple government departments and services that were operating from the premises of the tahsildar office, including the Aadhar centre, voter enrolment office, court premises and others. Hundreds of people visited the premises on a daily basis, apart from government officials working there.

The area surrounding the tahsildar office was surrounded by thick undergrowth, which provided ideal hiding places for local wildlife, including leopards and sloth bear. Seized and abandoned vehicles too were left to rust within the premises.

The association said that removing the rusting vehicles and the overgrown weeds surrounding the premises could help mitigate the threat from local wildlife that might accidentally come across people visiting the offices and lead to negative interactions between people and wildlife in the region.