Forest Minister K. Rajan announced plans to amend the Forest Department’s order concerning elephant management for the upcoming Thrissur Pooram, scheduled for April 19. The Minister assured that a revised order would be issued shortly, emphasizing the government’s commitment to ensuring the smooth organization of the festival.
The Kerala Forest Department had initially issued a directive outlining stringent measures for elephant management during the Thrissur Pooram. Among the stipulations was the deployment of 80 Rapid Response Teams to oversee the tuskers, along with mandatory veterinary inspections for each participating elephant.
Forest Minister AK Saseendran clarified that the requirement for a second round of fitness tests for the elephants would be waived. He cited practical challenges in implementing re-testing and noted that this amendment had been included in a new affidavit submitted to the High Court. Despite the order, organizers of the Pooram and elephant owners expressed discontent, with protests against the directive and declarations of non-compliance.
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