Angul Senior Citizens Urge District Administration To Provide Amenities Under Act

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Angul Anchalika Baristha Nagarika Manch has urged the State, Centre and the district administration to provide senior citizens of the district with all the amenities as per the Senior Citizens' Act.

In a memorandum submitted to the District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain and the Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Meena recently, the office bearers of the Manch have further demanded that in view of growing number of senior citizens in Angul district, the administration must take immediate steps to allot suitable land for construction of office and shelters for senior citizens in accordance with the Act. The administration should come forward to implement the Act in its letter and spirit, they added.

The memorandum also demanded issuance of identity cards by the police as done earlier and urged the district administration to carry on the process regularly to identify senior citizens of the district and mitigate their grievances in accordance with the Senior Citizens' Act. District health wing and the district administration should work in cohesion to issue Unique Health Cards to the senior citizens, the memorandum said.  

President of the Baristha Nagarika Manch Subas Chandra Sahu came down heavily on district administration which has failed to implement the Senior Citizens' Act in the district in its true spirit. He criticized the manner in which the district administration was dealing with the issues relating to the senior citizens of the industrial district of Odisha.

Sahu said:' The Manch has been demanding a suitable plot for construction of office and other infrastructure for the senior citizens of the district, but the district administration has paid a deaf ear to their demand. The motive behind district administration's silence suggest that it has a different agenda altogether.'

The Angul district administration has been constantly relegating the issues confronted by the senior citizens to the background, Sahu alleged and added that the administration did not even care to observe the Senior Citizens' Day.

The Naveen and Modi dispensations at State and Centre are adept in playing different cards during election to stay in power, he said and added that this might be another strategy to woo senior citizens by doling out false promises. Sahu, however, added that the senior citizens have the acumen to understand that only by promising them the moon and not showing sincerity to implement the Senior Citizens' Act in its letter and spirit would not be helpful either for the State or the Centre to get political mileage.

Secretary of Manch Krushna Nanda, Sushil Kumar Patnaik, Madan Mohan Patnaik, Prashant Das, Kumara Muduli and Ramesh Sahu were present during submission of memorandum to District Collector and SP.

 

29 Katarang Villagers Allege Duping By Angul Wildlife Officials Over Relocation Package

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

Twenty nine families belonging to Katarang village under Tikarapara gram panchayat in Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary region in Angul district have alleged that forest officials have duped them over full package of compensation of relocation package.

They have submitted a memorandum to the President Draupadi Murmu through the District Collector recently in this regard urging her to give them justice. They alleged that the wildlife officials have been harassing them and have bulldozed their houses without their concurrence.

Aggrieved villagers of Katarang on dharna

Reports said of the 120 families, 72 families were given evacuation notice to leave the village in the first place and the rest were asked to leave their homestead land at the earliest to the enable the forest officials to complete the relocation process.

Worthwhile to mention here that this relocation is being done for converting the sanctuary to a full-fledged tiger reserve in Satkosia. Villagers said they were promised Rs 20 lakh per family as compensation to leave their village for good.

The 29 aggrieved families of Katarang alleged that the forest officials threatened them with dire consequences if they dare to oppose the demolition. Some even alleged that their names were not enlisted for the purpose and the officials did not cared for their complaint.

The 29 aggrieved villagers in their memorandum to President Murmu alleged that "Katarang is not located in the Critical Tiger Habitat(CTH) nor the village comes under Critical Wildlife Habitat(CWH) of Satkosia Tiger Reserve and therefore they do not pose any threat to tigers". They further alleged that the relocation was unjust as they pose no threat to the tiger habitat in the sanctuary.

The villagers in their resolution alleged that the gram sabha(village meeting) was never convened by Tikarapara panchayat  for discussion of relocation issue. P K Behera, an wildlife activist said the "relocation has not been done properly as it violates wildlife Act of 1972 of 38(V), section 4 and 6 of forest protection Act 2006 and rehabilitation and resettlement Act of 2013".

Houses in Katarang reduced to rubble by wildlife officials

Behera alleged that the motive behind the relocation is under suspense as the wildlife officials have hurriedly convened the village meeting without the concurrence of gram panchayat to discuss the issue. The forest department has no authority to convene gram sabha and it is the sole prerogative of the panchayat, he added.

The social activist further alleged that the wildlife officials of Angul Division have virtually forced the villagers to toe their line in the name of a fake resolution passed in the gram sabha.

A compensation amount of Rs 20 lakh per family does not constitute the full package, Behera said and added that the wildlife officials have ignored other compensation that constitute the full package.

A few years ago, Raiguda village under Bantala forest range in Angul district was relocated to ensure a lively tiger reserve in Satkosia, but the villagers relocated at 'New Raiguda' near Nuakheta cry for lack of basic amenities such as road connectivity and drinking water. Now Raiguda villagers repent that their relocation was unjust and unnecessary. The wildlife officials have failed to protect leopards, let alone breeding Royal Bengal Tigers(RBTs) in Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary, the villagers said and added that their sacrifice of livelihood and homestead land for the sake of RBTs has become meaningless.

The male RBT 'Mahaveer' has died a few years ago and the tigress 'Sundari' was relocated to Madhya Pradesh forest after she turned man-eater. The so-called tiger reserve in Satkosia is now without big cats.   

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.           

  

Solar Energy Can Save Angul From Environmental Hazards, Says iFOREST study

By SANTOSH MOHANTY

A smooth transition of highly polluted Angul district of Odisha to a green economy can only be achieved through solar energy generation, according to a study conducted by International Forum For Environment, Sustainability &Technology (iFOREST).

The iFOREST study report published by Sustainability Innovations and Advisories Private Limited said renewable energy (RE) in the form of solar energy will have considerable bearing on green manufacturing industries in the district.

Reservoirs and dams like Rengali and Derjang in Angul district provide ample opportunity for floating solar projects, the study said and added that the energy can be harnessed from rooftops and utilisation of wasteland through reclamation of mining land in the future.

The extensive study on Angul district said renewable energy is the need of the hour and added that this will be crucial for the highly industrialized Angul district which is in the grip of air, water, sound and land pollution.

The National Institute of Solar Energy has already chalked out projects for such purpose, the study said and added that NHPC has signed an agreement with the Green Energy Development Corporation of Odisha Ltd (GEDCOL) in January 2022  for generation of 500 MW floating solar projects on different water bodies in Odisha. The iFOREST study said the government is planning to install 300 MW of floating solar project and hoped that Angul district will witness considerable investment in energy sector in the next decade.

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.