Schools closed in Pokhra block due to the terror of maneaters
Opened in Wednesday but attendence of students negligible
In Uttarakhand, especially in the Pauri and Chamoli district’s of Garhwal including in Tehri Garhwal district there have been several incidents of fatalities due to maneater leopard and tiger attacks with the women and school going children their easy targets.
During the last few years there have been more than 150 human kills by these dreaded carnivores with eight fatalities by wild bears. Not a day is passed when the fatalities due to the maneater attacks are not reported and news appear in the newspapers.
It has become extremely difficult for children and women working in agricultural fields and those arranging fodder for the domestic pets to go to jungles or fields for their daily works as the maneater leopards/ tigers pounce on them,who are clandestinely on prowl for human flesh near human habitats, in agricultural fields behind shrubs and bushes and even picking up children and women from house compounds and tragically killing them thereafter.
In several areas, the schools have been closed for students ranging from primary, middle and intermediate schools and colleges fearing unpredictable maneater attacks.
The schools in Pokhra block which had been closed for several days were opened on Wednesday but the attendence in the primary , middle and intermediate school have been negligible with not a single student coming at Janta Inter College out of 72 in Kunjkhal.
According to the deputy education officer at Pokhra, Garhwal Mr. Manoj – 47 students were present in the basic school whereas not a single student attended the middle and intermediate College classes when the schools opened on Wednesday after being closed for several days.
The situation of the maneater terror is so much widespread that children and teachers are preferring to undertake the online classes than coming to schools.
In addition to Pokhra block – in Gairsain the terror of maneater leopards is tremendous and wild bear posing a direct threat to residents in Chamoli district where the wild bears are openly roaming and attacking the village women going to cut grass and collect fodder for cows and buffaloes.
In Gairsain’s Khansar area, Jalchownra, Mythan and Mehalchownri the maneater is prowling freely for human flesh and the residents are terrified.
