In the last two decades, te Athagarh forest has turned a safe haven for jungle mafias and poachers. The Forest Department here seems to exist only to swallow the Government money flowing in for protection and development of jungles and wildlife.
The Government has constituted a Forest Division here since 1950 with five ranges namely Athagarh, Khuntuni, Badamba, Narsinghpur East and Narsinghpur West. The division was given utmost importance for high level protection of both the jungle and its wildlife until 2000. In the last over two decades, it was observed that the Government had closed its eyes on the sustenance of the division.
The officers posted here have not been dwelling in the headquarters; rather they are facilitating loot of the precious forest wealth while giving the poachers ample of opportunity to enjoy a field day. The DFO and Range Officers shy away from sharing information about any development with media to save their CCR.
Once, the Athagarh jungle was a safe zone for the elephant population where their number was over 1,000. There was dense green cover for food and abundant water sources for their consumption. But with growing demand for forest products due to the advent of lifestyle, especially by rich men, the mafias and poachers have been active. Unscrupulous forest officials are helping the mafias and poachers in carrying out no-holds-barred loot by receiving kickbacks. This is the primary reason why now Athagarh jungle has turned unsafe for the plants and wild animals.
On Tuesday morning, some Narsinghpur locals found a tusker in the rivulet of Jaypur forest beat writhing in pain with several bullet injuries and informed the department. The matter could have ended with just passing off of information to the higher-ups if local MLA Debi Prasad Mishra hadn’t interfered and drawn attention of Forest and Environment Minister Pradip Amat for rushing a veterinary team to treat the pachyderm. Amat sent a veterinary doctors’ team from Nandankanan Zoo and Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary for treatment of the tusker.
The PCCF, RCCF Angul, Athagarh DFO and MLA Mishra also rushed to the spot to inspect the condition of the pachyderm. On Wednesday, another female elephant was also spotted wandering with bullet-shot injuries needing immediate health intervention, said sources.
Similarly at least three days ago, the carcasses of two elephants were recovered from Badamba forest range area by the officials of a Special Task Force. Over a dozen of elephants have perished due to poaching in the last two years as per the reliable sources. But the department has reflected most of the death cases due to ailments.
Local environmentalist and lawyer Ashok Kumar Pattnaik said that the coming generations would scarcely believe that such mammals had ever existed in Athagarh jungle if the current trend continues.