By SANTOSH MOHANTY
Poachers have riveted their eyes on Balang reserve forest under Bantala Forest Range which is home to a number of wildlife species.
Although the forest staff of the above mentioned range have recently rounded up two poachers with guns and sharp weapons which would have been used for killing animals, other two escaped during the raid. Sources said they were nabbed during patrolling while preparing for hunting animals inside the reserve forest.
Villagers and activists of grassroot organizations working in Balang and Purunakote regions alleged that irregular patrolling by forest staff, particularly during night, has encouraged poachers and timber traders to sneak into reserved forest areas under the jurisdiction of Bantala Forest Range.
The villagers alleged that the forest officials are hand in glove with poachers and timber traders who roam freely in reserve forest regions in Balang, Labangi and other vast tracts of forest region under Angul Forest Division and Jilinda Forest Range in Narasinghpur.
Divisional Forest Officer, Satkosia Wildlife Division, has admitted that some staff and persons engaged in Elephant Squad are hand in glove with poachers. The Athagarh Forest Division was recently in the news for involvement of some forest staff in killing of tuskers for the illegal trade. Media reports suggest that the Special Investigative Team (SIT) is seized with the matter and a through probe will fix responsibility on the erring officials. Meanwhile, a forest range officer along with his subordinates in Jilinda range for their alleged involvement in killing jumbos for their valuable tusks.
Patrolling by Bantala Forest Range staff has always been irregular, the villagers alleged and said most of them either remain absent from duty or knowingly allow the poachers to hunt animals.
People belonging to Nuakheta, Talagarh, Bargounia, Dhokuta, Sarangpur and Bantala alleged that when tuskers have a field day devastating human habitation and crops, the forest staff instead of taking steps to drive out the jumbos, prefer to advise them to be on their guard to prevent any untoward incident.
Reports said poachers have resorted to booby traps for trapping wildlife apart from electrocuting them with high voltage electricity. Poachers bypass current from high tension overhead KV lines, passing through reserve forest through wires by connecting the baits, which are usually meat, to attract the animals roaming in the forest. Animals like wildboars get electrocuted when they try to take the loaf of meat attached to wire connected to high tension electric line, sources informed.
Activists working for different non-profit forest groups said lack of cohesion between the forest and electricity departments has escalated the poaching issue. The high tension overhead KV line is one of the major causes for elimination of wildlife from reserved forest areas in Angul forest division, particularly under Bantala Forest Range, the activists said. They advised the forest officials to act quickly before the poachers completely wipe out wildlife species from reserve forest areas under Bantala Forest Range.
