Poachers Kill Tusker In Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary, Role Of Forest Officials In Question

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

The Man-Elephant tussle has again come to a flashpoint after a tusker was electrocuted near forest beat under Pampasara range in Satkosia wildlife sanctuary in Angul district two days ago. The electrocution was done with the help of a booby trap that was laid on the ground.

While Divisional Forest Officer Dr Saroj Panda emphasized that the culprits will be brought to book soon, he was silent about how the poachers clandestinely laid down the trap bypassing high tension overhead electricity lines to materialize their plan. Panda and other forest officials did not think it fit to explain about the laxity on patrolling which is being undertaken on a regular basis to thwart any attempt of poaching of animals including the jumbos in Satkosia wildlife sanctuary.

Villagers at Jagannathpur alleged as the incident has occurred a few metres away from the forest beat house, the employees and officials who were present on duty on that fateful day must be investigated to find out the truth. The forest officials have been stressing that foot and patrolling on vehicles are taken up regularly, but how come they could not get slightest indication that the poachers have laid down traps to kill animals, the villagers questioned. They further said that the role of forest officials must be taken into account keeping in view of the incident that occurred in Athagarh forest division in which forest officials were involved in poaching of tuskers.

Worthwhile to note that over 100 km long overhead electricity lines across Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary have been posing a constant threat to the lives of animals particularly jumbos which are vulnerable due to their height. As the overhead lines are hanging precariously, the elephants come in contact with live wire and get killed. The electricity wing with the help of forest department has so far succeeded in insulating nearly 20 km of overhead lines. But, there is no confirmation either from the electricity or forest officials when the rest part of the overhead lines will be insulated or replaced by cables. 

Bantala Nodal High School Losing Credibility Among Students, Parents

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Bantala Nodal High School in Angul district is losing credibility among students and guardians due to shortage of teachers over the years.

The school is going without a headmaster for months and the post of PCM teacher has fallen vacant for over two years. The authorities, it is alleged, have not yet decided to appoint a headmaster ever since the incumbent retired. The PCM teacher was deputed elsewhere two years ago without minding about the consequences it will have on teaching.

The school Managing Committee sources said resolutions were passed and forwarded to appropriate authorities for early posting of headmaster and required teaching staff, but to no avail. The sources said the sitting MLA Rajanikant Singh has also been requested to look into the matter, but it has gone unheeded.

Shortage of teaching staff has allegedly cast it adverse impact on attendance as a number of students have preferred to take admissions in nearby educational institutions for better schooling. Guardians alleged that it is true that the school has been transformed under 5T, but teaching has become a victim. The high school which was built in 1960, has acquired a new avatar of late, but the days are not far ahead when it will be left with a few students, they said wryly.

The Managing Committee sources further complained that teaching staff apart, the posts of clerk and night watchman have also fallen vacant for over seven years. While the clerk has been deputed to other school, the night watchman is posted at Block Education Office in Angul, the sources added.    

Farmers' Awareness Programme On Aromatic Crop Production

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Scientists urged farmers of the state to boost their yield with the adoption of modern technology and take up cultivation of aromatic plants for a number of benefits.

A farmers' awareness and training programme was jointly organized by scientists of National Institute of Plant Biotechnology (NIPB), New Delhi and Central Institute of Aromatic Medicinal Plants, Lucknow at Pabitra Mohan Institute of Technology (PMIT), Talcher on July 11 and 12.

Speaking on the occasion as Chief Guest, former Union Minister of State for Agriculture Dr Debendra Pradhan, urged the farmers to adopt novel technologies for multiplying agricultural production for a sustainable growth of the agrarian sector. Dr Pradhan lauded the efforts of the scientists of NIPB who have been striving their best to develop novel methods for boosting crop production in the country. He said raising of aromatic plants help protect other crops from being destroyed by animals.

Chairperson of Vikash Trust, Mridula Pradhan, urged women cultivators to acquire the know how to benefit immensely in farming and said they must take the lead. Principal scientist of Central Institute of Aromatic Medicinal Plants, Dr Prashant Kumar Rout, explained how farming of aromatic plants, lemon grass, pamarosa and Tulsi will greatly benefit the agrarian community in the state.

The programme was graced by Director, NIPB, Ajit Kumar Shasany, Principal Scientist Ashwini Nanabare, scientists of Krushi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) of Dhenkanal and Angul districts, Bimalendu Mohanty and Debashish Mishra and Science Communicator Laxminarayan Boxi.

Nearly 200 farmers were distributed with mango saplings, high yielding paddy and lemon grass. The programme was moderated by Satya Prakash Nayak with the cooperation of PMIT staff.   

Poachers Prowling Reserve Forest Areas In Bantala Forest Range

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. 

Slow Work, Crusher Heaps, Make NH-55 Vulnerable To Accidents

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Although Angul district administration has finally approved subcontract of M/S  C P Arora Engineers for execution of NH 55 Package 2 spanning Angul to Dhenkanal recently, the extremely slow progress of work has made the route more hazardous than before thereby making it accident prone.

Heaps of crusher particles and other materials deposited at several busy spots on the dilapidated highway for over a month has made it the worst place to drive through during peak hours. If we go by local media reports, as many as 28 accidents have occurred on the route between January-March this year claiming 20 lives. The highway which was once known as the lifeline for the people of Angul has become a dust pollution zone interspersed with ditches.

Crusher heap on Panchamahala-Hulurisinga stretch of NH-55 in Angul

As the four lane work of NH-55 in Angul district is moving at a snail's pace, the completion of highway project might be delayed for over a year.

Union Minister for Transport Nitin Gadkari had assured Dhenkanal MP Mahesh Sahoo for completion of the project by June this year, but this has turned out to be false.

Four lane work of nearly fifty percent of 265 km long Cuttack-Sambalpur national highway has been completed so far, the work for which began in 2018. The construction company entrusted with the work became bankrupt during Covid pandemic and withdrew from the work without informing the district administration. 

Elephant-Man Conflict Reaches Flashpoint In Bantala Forest Range-See Latest Videos

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

People in Nuakheta village under Bantala Forest Range in Angul district are living in a state of panic as marauding jumbos destroy vegetation and human habitation at the dead of night.

The latest incident occurred last night(Thursday, June 16) at Nuakheta village clearly indicated how the Elephant-Man conflict has acquired dangerous proportions under Bantala Forest Range in Angul Forest Division due to inaction by local forest staff.

The videos show how a tusker, which has sneaked into Nuakheta village from nearby forest, is gorging upon jackfruits at the dead of night. The footage show the villagers are trying their best to drive away the tusker from their backyards to protect jackfruit trees and their houses as well.

The villagers alleged that elephants, mostly tuskers, destroy orchards and added that this has been a regular feature since forest staff fail to drive away the animals to their natural habitat. They said bursting of crackers by forest staff has adversely affected the operation to drive away the jumbos thereby making them more aggressive. The deafening sound of crackers and blinding flashlights used by forest staff engaged in driving away the jumbos have rather neutralized the purpose it is supposed to serve, the villagers of Nuakheta said.

The situation in Talagarh, Bargounia, Dhokuta, Sarangpur and some parts of Bantala is also no better from that of Nuakheta. Nearly a month ago, tuskers had a field day in the above mentioned region devastating human habitation and crops. The forest staff, it alleged, instead of taking steps to drive out the pachyderms, preferred to advise the villagers to be on their guard to prevent any untoward incident and flee for their lives.

Activists associated with protection and conservation of forest and wildlife said the forest officials must hit upon a novel plan to discourage the elephants to intrude into human territories rather than bursting crackers and flashing powerful lights to counter the menace. The department should undertake awareness programmes involving the affected villagers to become stakeholders of the campaign to understand their responsibility, the activists said. The activists said the forest officials as well as the affected villagers must develop a sense of dedication to take up the challenge.  

RPDAC Meet Ends Fruitless As Oustees' Demand For Jobs, Rs 50L Per Acre Go Unheeded

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

The agony and miseries of displaced families in the highly industrialized district of Angul will not end soon, thanks to the apathetic attitude of the people's representatives and district officials as well.

The most recent development indicated how the aggrieved families vented their anger in the Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee(RPDAC) meet convened by the district administration to discuss about compensation to the oustees of Utkal D and E coal mines. The displaced families present in the RPDAC meet demanded employment opportunities along with monetary compensation for their loss of home and hearth. However, the sources said, the coal mining agencies did not agree to provide jobs to the ousted families as demanded. The mining officials, it was learnt, agreed only to pay monetary compensation to the families.

As the mining agencies were adamant all through the discussion, the displaced families had no option than to stomp out of the conference hall where the meeting was held being attended by top officials from Angul district administration including District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain, RDC Suresh Chandra Dalei, SP Jagmohan Meena, Sub-Collector Baitura Deep and top Nalco officials and people's representatives. Reports said as the aggrieved persons vehemently demanded one job per family. But, the unyielding mining agencies adroitly wound up RPDAC meet fearing that unruly incidences might take place as the situation was highly charged.

Reports said the oustees demanded that at least one member of their family must get a job along with Rs 50 lakh as compensation per acre of land. Sources said that while the displaced persons were adamant on their demand, the officials tried to dodge discussion on the topic. The mining agencies agreed for pecuniary compensation to the oustees, but not the amount demanded by them per acre, sources added.

It is worthwhile to mention here that till date displaced persons of Rengali hydel project, Samal barrage, NTPC  and a number of coalmine projects in Angul district have not been compensated neither with jobs nor money even after decades.

Sources said early solution to the problem of oustees' issue due to mining and other industries could not be found as neither the district administration nor people's representatives allegedly lack the will to understand the miseries of the concerned families and act accordingly. There are allegations that RPDAC meetings were never held regularly. Irregular meetings between the oustees and the officials have become a major impediment in the way of finding out an early solution to the nagging issue, sources reasoned.

The local media, both print and electronic, have been covering protests of the displaced families almost on a daily basis, yet the administration is yet to wake from its slumber. Therefore, one can gauge how acute is the displacement issue in Angul district. The upcoming coal mining projects in Chhendipada in Angul district will, in all probability, further escalate the situation as the industries have resorted to hoodwinking people after usurping their home and hearth, sources said.