Tirupati: A herd of elephants straying close to the popular Srivari Mettu trekking path in Tirupati district led to an alert on Tuesday, forcing forest and vigilance teams to swing into action. The movement of about 11 elephants – including four calves – near Chandragiri mandal sparked tension among local residents and disrupted the flow of devotees visiting the sacred hill shrine.

The elephants were first detected near a pump house through drone surveillance by forest officials. However, the surveillance effort hit a snag when one of the drones crashed after colliding with tree branches. The herd soon entered nearby agricultural fields, damaging standing crops and triggering panic among the villagers.

Following the alert, devotees heading to Srivari Mettu were temporarily halted at the Sri Vinayaka Swamy check-post. Pilgrims were allowed to proceed only in small groups and under tight security supervision, as officials regulated movement to prevent any man-animal conflict.

Forest and TTD vigilance teams worked swiftly to track the herd’s movements and redirect it into the forest. Real-time monitoring through drones continued, and alerts were sent out to forest-fringe villages to keep them informed of any developments.

In response to the incident, Deputy Chief Minister and forest and environment minister Pawan Kalyan conducted a high-level review with senior forest officials via teleconference. The meeting focused on the current elephant movements, the extent of crop damage, and a recent fatal attack on a farmer in the region.

Officials briefed the minister that the herd had been roaming near Kalyani dam and the Sathya Sai ST Colony, causing significant destruction to fields and plantations. They also updated him on the ongoing drone tracking and monitoring efforts.

Taking serious note of the situation, Pawan Kalyan directed the forest department to implement a systematic alert mechanism across all vulnerable villages. He instructed that dedicated WhatsApp groups be set up for each village, allowing early warnings and rapid dissemination of critical information. He also stressed the need for 24/7 surveillance by local forest teams.

Further, the Deputy CM stressed that divisional forest officers (DFOs) and the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) must oversee the alert systems and ensure the elephants are safely navigated away from human settlements and guided back into their natural habitat.