Dhenkanal: The forest department has decided to take help of drone camera to trace out the elephant injured in a mishap wherein another jumbo was killed after a truck hit them at Podapada square on National Highway-55 under Odapada block in Dhenkanal district Thursday.
After the accident, the injured elephant is said to have gone into Matharagadi reserve forest. However, even though the forest department’s teams carried out a search operation in the jungle Friday and it lasted till the evening, they failed in their attempts to find out the elephant.
Additional principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) Sashi Paul informed the press that a drone camera would be engaged Saturday to trace the pachyderm. A specially designed drone camera has already been brought from Angul DFO office.
The elephant menace and the problems arising out of it has put the Dhenkanal forest department on a cleft stick. At a time when the problem is going from bad to worse, the forest department is contemplating on introducing a pilot project.
APCCF Paul informed that Gajabandhu yojana is soon to be implemented in 30 villages identified in the district as the most vulnerable ones.
Initially, members are to be selected from amongst the villagers through local Vana Sanrakshana Samiti. These members would inform the villagers and the forest department about the presence of elephants in their villages. That apart, a proposal would be placed before the higher-ups to reconstruct Odapada block as a range.
Regarding steps undertaken to save the elephants, APCCF Paul said a good number of elephants are roaming around the area where the mishap occurred Thursday. So, steps have already been taken to illuminate the area by outing up solar light and high mast light poles.
These elephants are facing problems while moving around the area since there are canals, National Highway and railway tracks in the locality. Digging up of canals is largely responsible for destroying their corridors.
At the time of National Highway expansion, under and over bypasses would be constructed and a trench would be dug up.
A proposal for four underpasses at Matharagadi reserve forest has been sent to the higher officials. That apart, big enough signboards for easy reading would also be put up on either side of the road at the spot on National Highway-55 through which elephants cross the NH regularly.
These signboards would have information in Odia, Hindi and English languages. The regional transport office (RTO) would be intimated to take steps so that the vehicles pass through the stretch will go slow. The lives of elephants and human beings are always precious. So all possible steps would be taken to save these lives, he added.
Additional PCCF Paul, regional chief conservator of forest (RCCF) Pradeepraj Karat, DFO Bimal Prasanna Acharya Friday visited the spot where an elephant died after a 12-wheeler hit it Thursday and expressed their concern over it. Rain, pitch darkness and high speeds are learnt to have been the reasons leading to the mishap. The forest department has meanwhile lodged a case with Motanga police station, it was learnt.
PNN