In view of Sendra (Bishu Shikar), the annual hunting festival of tribals on May 8, the entire state forest machinery will be camping at Dalma wildlife sanctuary to ensure that the ritual is observed bloodless.
Senior forest officials, including the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), chief conservator of forests, assistant chief conservator of forests, divisional forest officers and range officers will start arriving in Jamshedpur from May 6 and leave once Sendra concludes.
According to information all the accommodations at Dalma – guest house at Pinderbera, cottages at Makulakocha and a two room facility as well as the forest guest house in Mango have been booked from May 6 to 8.
Dalma range officer RP Singh said senior officials will keep vigil on the security arrangements during Sendra. “We want to ensure safety and bloodless celebration. So most senior forest officers are coming to monitor the security arrangements. We will be making elaborate security arrangements to ensure a bloodless Sendra,” he added. Singh was today busy finalising chart for deployment of forest security guards at the sanctuary.
The forest range office has also launched an awareness campaign in the 85-off villages inside the sanctuary as well as those at the foothills. Members of the Dalma eco development committee and some NGOs are also involved in the campaign, distributing pamplets among rurals on futility in killing animals in the name of a festival.
“Since last few days we have been extensively carrying out awareness drive among the tribals in particular, and villagers at large to minimise the threat to the wildlife and we are confident that our efforts will bear positive result,” said, Dalma range forest official.
Of the 82 villages that fall within the Dalma forest jurisdiction a majority have acceded to the forest department official’s word besides, the eco club members who largely played the role on behalf of the forest department in convincing the villagers about the implications of killing animals too are confident of ‘no loss of life’ in the jungles of Dalma on the Sendra day.
The nine locations identified for check-points are Devgarh, Dhalbhumgarh, Pipla, Patamda, Paridih Kali Mandir and two places each in Bhadudih and Bahragora.
Besides, deployment of magistrates has also been sought to ensure effective implementation of the preventive measures.