Jharsuguda: Animal lovers are blaming the forest department for the death of three elephants, including two calves, in the last 15 days.
“Had the department shown little interest towards ensuring free and safe movement of these wild animals, the loss could have been avoided,” Asish Shukla of Bombay Natural History Society, who is also an animal lover, said.
It is the forest department’s negligence that cost the lives of two calves, locals said, adding they were killed when they fell into the a trench. In the first incident, a four-month-old calf slipped into a trench at Bagadidhi under Kirmira block and was killed. Just after a fortnight, the same open trench caused the death of another calf that fell into it.
The animal lovers alleged that after the first incident, the forest department did nothing to get the trench filled but for writing to the department concerned. If steps had been taken to get the trench filled up, there might not have been the second mishap.
Shukla said that forest officials’ job is to ensure the safety of wild animals and forest. But it seems that the required willingness is missing in them. “The department is neither spotting the electric wire, railway line, dry and uncovered well and pit that always pose a threat to the wild animals nor is it taking any steps like directing the departments concerned for steps to do away with the threats,” he alleged. He said he would personally meet the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and request him to take steps for the safety of wild animals.
When asked about what steps the department is taking after the death of three elephants, Sushant Kumar, DFO, said that the railway department had been directed to fill the open trench dug up for laying cables and some portions had already been filled.
“The executive officer, WESCO, has also been asked to take steps to ensure that no death of wild animals takes place. Basically, he is asked to see that there would be no low-lying electric wires over the corridors, strengthening of poles, etc. that may cause harm to wild animals,” he added.
Soon there would be a coordination meeting between the officials of forest, railways and the electricity departments and on the basis of its outcome, future steps would be taken, he said. PNN
