The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has been urged to save the victims of man-animal conflict in Bhitarkanika and the adjacent areas in Kendrapada district.
Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy in his rejoinder urged the attention of the apex human rights panel in this regard. He submitted that the compassionate amount of Rs 5,000 is meager in present days. The amount has not been increased for more than a decade. The report is also silent about the case of death in firing of Akbar Ali.
On February 14, 2015, one person was killed and at least four others were injured, two of them seriously, when a rogue wild boar went on a rampage and attacked a group of farm labourers in Hatabanapur village when the farm labourers were engaged in Rabi crop cultivation, he said.
In second week of May, 2016, a 60-year-old man, Jitendra Nayak of Kharianta village Mahakalpada forest range in Kendrapada district, was injured severely as a wild boar attacked him.
Tripathy stated that he can cite dozens of cases of deaths and injuries even after filing of the present case before the commission. loss of crops damage to the human habitation and fearful lives are other phenomenon of the case. The human rights of thousands of villagers have been violated, Tripathy alleged.
He requested the NHRC to investigate the case independently and impartially by a team of officials of the commission or through the Special Rapporteur and also seek detailed report from the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India with regard to the issues and ensure the basic human rights of the unfortunate victims living in fear and poverty in the area due to man-animal conflict.
Earlier, acting on the petition filed by Tripathy, the NHRC sought an Action Taken report (ATR) from the Chief Secretary of Odisha over the serious issue. In the petition, the gravity of the situation has been stated explaining how the issue becomes a poll issue during election seasons and the elected representatives forget to resolve the issue only to remember after five years.
The prohibitory orders of the Environment and Forest Department during the nesting season of Olive Ridley turtles and the severe restriction imposed by the State upon the villagers even for self defence against animal attacks pose a threat to human rights. Hundreds of villagers die and thousands gets injured due to the persistent human-animal conflict in the Bhitarkanika crocodile park, Tripathy added.