For the Sivarathiri festival rush, the TN Forest Department increases vigilance in Velliangiri

The Coimbatore forest division officials have deployed over 80 personnel in the area, with 30 staff members specifically assigned to prevent devotees from entering areas where wild elephants move, as a large number of devotees have begun arriving at Velliangiri to visit the temple for Sivarathiri, which falls on Saturday.

More than 36,000 worshippers reportedly came to the shrine on Wednesday after the Madras High Court approved trekking on February 9. Over the following four days, the numbers would rise.
We have identified Mullangakadu, Thaanikandi Valaivu, Thaneerpandal, Poondi Kovil, Iruttupallam, Madakkadu, and Narasipuram as sites where wild elephants visit, according to a senior forest officer. Thirty members of our team will be assigned to avoid any harmful interactions with human elephants.

The official said that, with the exception of women, there are no restrictions on hiking in the hills and that, in order to safeguard the forest and its fauna from fire, four-person teams have been assigned to each of the second, fourth, and sixth hills.

Since the summer has begun, the personnel will make sure that there are no fires. Even with meticulous inspections at the foothills, there is a possibility that some ardent follower may smuggle cigarettes and matchboxes into the slopes. As a result, there is a significant risk of man-made fire, which is why staff members have been assigned to 24-hour observation. To avoid conflicts between humans and sloth bears, we are keeping an eye on the first and second slopes,” the official