Parjang: Owing to increased cases of man-elephant conflict in Dhenkanal over the past couple of months, the district Forest Department has come up with ‘Airavat’ bus service which was launched in Parjang block Wednesday in order to curb jumbo menace and save lives.
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The specially designed bus has been manufactured at a cost of Rs 21 lakh and featuring multiple utilities. It is equipped with a charging system, public address systems, pachyderm tranquilisers and other advanced equipment needed to drive away elephants from farmlands and human settlements more effectively, Dhenkanal divisional forest officer (DFO) Prakash Chand Gogineni informed.
Forest personnel including elephant squads will be able patrol forest areas in the bus thereby keeping a strict vigil on the movement of elephant herds. Apart from driving herd(s) from human habitations, the squad will be able to protect the pachyderms from attack by poachers.
Local villagers of Mahabirod and Kamakhyanagar Western Range under Dhenkanal forest division have appreciated the efforts of the forest department, at a time when crops are just about to be reaped.
PNN