Senior Citizens' Issue To Worry India In Coming Years

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

The alarming rise in the number of senior citizens in India is constantly worrying the government of the day with HelpAge India in its latest report saying that this figure has increased at the rate of 36 per cent during 2011 to 2021.

The report said although the senior citizens' issue has become a global phenomenon, yet this will be posing a threat to the governance as well as social structure of India if the pace is not neutralized.

The HelpAge report said the growth in the number of senior citizens in India is so high that it nearly takes twenty years to double. But, in France the growth rate is very slow and it takes nearly 20 years to double the figure. India's pace of growth of in the number of senior citizens will be suicidal for the country, the HelpAge report said and added that their number might increase up to 300 million in a span of thirty years.

In 1950, senior citizens account for barely 5 per cent of the total population of India, while in 2016 the figure rose to 10 per cent and this might rise up to 19 per cent in 2050, the HelpAge report said. The report further said that by 2050, the number of persons in the age group between 60-70 years will be one out of every five in India.

Although India is presently a young nation and the average age of its population is 29 years, there has been a constant rise in the number people aged over 60 years.            

Jumbos Prowl Bantala Region, Forest Staff Shortage Worsens Situation

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

A new but dangerous trend is slowly emerging in Bantala region in Angul district as herds of elephants are heading towards human habitation wreaking havoc among the people.

Shortage of trained forest staff has further worsened the situation. Reports said three forest range officers have been asked to manage the affairs of six ranges coming under the jurisdiction of Angul Forest Division. The situation has come to such a pass that the most vulnerable Bantala forest range has been deprived of a full time forest range officer as the present incumbent Madhab Nayak has been given the additional responsibility of Jarapada forest range, 30 km from Bantala.

A skeleton staff in most forest ranges under Angul Forest Division has severely affected the drive to keep at bay marauding jumbos from human habitation and urban pockets as some forest ranges are headed by Deputy Forest Range Officers.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Vivek Kumar has admitted that the forest division is presently understaffed, but hoped that things will become normal as soon as new postings will be made. He, however, did not clarify when the vacancies will be filled up.   

Earlier, the jumbos were mostly noticed in and around villages situated close to reserved forest areas like Nuakheta, Talagarh, Bargaunia, Maranda and Khinda. The situation has been changed in the recent days as pachyderms, mostly tuskers, are prowling the streets and by-lanes of Bantala, Khalgaon, Sankhapur, Sarangpur, Dhakuta and other areas which are situated away from forest region.

A few days ago, marauding tuskers were seen near Community Health Centre at Bantala sending shockwaves in the minds of doctors and patients as well. This incident has triggered fear among the people of Bantala. Most shopkeepers down their shutters immediately after evening fearing jumbo attack. A month ago, tuskers were seen moving near Bantala Sishu Mandir in the early hours. Although there were no reports of any elephant attack in the area so far, people have become apprehensive that the worst might happen one day as none can guarantee the marauding tuskers will not attack passing vehicles and houses.

The day is not far off when Bantala will experience the same situation like the state capital, Bhubaneswar, where elephants from Chandaka elephant reserve, roam freely in the market places. Bantala is close to Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary, and therefore, Bhubaneswar-like situation might not be ruled out.      

Angul Officials Little Concerned About People's Problems

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Officials of Angul district administration are allegedly drifting away from their responsibility by failing to resolve issues relating to drinking water, health, education and road connectivity.

The officials' lackadaisical attitude became evident during a high level meeting of Zilla Parishad meeting held at the district headquarters town in Angul recently. People's representatives leveled severe allegations that most officials were not present during the meeting, while important issues like supply of potable water to villagers living in different areas in Angul district were being discussed.

The 53rd general body meeting of Zilla Parishad, presided over by ZP President Ms Babita Pradhan, was attended among others, by Dhenkanal MP Mahesh Sahoo  and MLAs of Talcher, Athamallik, Pallahara and Angul, Braja Kishore Pradhan, Ramesh Chandra Sai, Mukesh Kumar Pal and Rajanikant Singh respectively.

The people's representatives waited for several hours in the ZP Conference Hall to discuss with the officials on the issues concerning the common man in the rural regions of the district, yet none bothered to turn up despite being informed officially several days prior to the said meeting. The MLAs present at the  meeting expressed their discontentment over non-attendance of officials to discuss the issues facing the people living in the rural areas in Angul district.

The angry MLAs were seen shouting urging the government to take action against the erring officials who did not care to attend such an important meeting which was convened to discuss the nagging issues confronting the rural masses in Angul district. Proceedings must be drawn against the officials who had deliberately skipped the meeting, the MLAs said and added that such a practice must come to an end forthwith and the concerned bureaucrats must be given exemplary punishment.

The groundwater table of Angul district especially in Talcher region has gone down to rock bottom level due to excavation of coal and rapid industrialization.  People living in as many as 150 villages in Talcher sub-division are reeling under severe water scarcity. Womenfolks are a distressed lot as they have to traverse miles to fetch potable water for their families.

The Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) who is the main culprit and mostly responsible for escalating water scarcity in Talcher region, has been running away from its responsibility to provide sufficient potable water to the affected denizens.

Till date, the MCL has restricted itself to supplying potable water to some locations through tankers, while large chunk of the affected population are dying for a few drops of water. Their condition become worst during summer as most of them get admitted to hospital due to dehydration.