The State Government has directed the Angul Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) to stop villagers of Talcher range from using cruel and harmful methods to drive away elephants and, instead, follow suggestions of Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO) secretary Bishwajit Mohanty for the purpose.
Acting on a complaint lodged by Mohanty, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Odisha also asked the DFO to ensure that Supreme Court orders are implemented strictly while driving away the wild jumbos.
In his petition, Mohanty had apprised the PCCF that villages like Tumugola, Gurujang and Belapada, bordering the Mahabirod Range of Dhenkanal division, are using hand held tube launchers to fire crackers directly at elephants. Thus, the herds panic and flee towards Dhenkanal area. There are reports of such rockets hitting the elephants singeing their skin, and at least one elephant was found to be limping badly after one such attack on them in September 2018.
“Such crude and illegal methods of driving have not been prevented by the Talcher Range staff though they are well aware of this illegal practice,” Mohanty had written.
He had too mentioned that such methods of driving elephants are against the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Supreme Court orders as well.
To drive away elephants, Mohanty suggested that a coordination meeting between the DFOs of Angul and Dhenkanal along with their local Range Officers be held at the earliest.
Joint public meetings should be held to make people of three villages aware about the illegality and the consequences of such harmful acts.
People’s grievances on compassionate payments should be looked into and if dues are there they should be cleared soon.
Government should provide high beam torches to villages affected by raids for use as alternative safe methods of driving away elephants.
The department, if feasible, may consider permanent methods of keeping elephants away from their farmlands by putting elephant proof trenches or solar powered fences, suggested Mohanty.
