Sambalpur: The State government Wednesday suspended a forest official for dereliction of duty that resulted in a number of elephant deaths in Sambalpur district.
According to official sources, as many as six elephants had died between January 2019 and January 2021.
The erstwhile Odisha Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Harishankar Upadhyay had earlier recommended the State government to take disciplinary action against the forest ranger.
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The PCCF had observed that the Sadar range officer was grossly negligent in carrying out adequate patrolling within his jurisdiction area which resulted in the deaths of six jumbos.
“On February 6, the PCCF has initiated departmental proceedings against Sadar forest ranger Gouri Shankar Dash. Based on the reports of elephants’ deaths in the previous years, the government has suspended him from the services,” Sambalpur DFO Sanjeet Kumar said.
In the absence of adequate patrolling, the elephants had died by train accidents and electrocution as well. This was the key reason behind the deaths of the pachyderms, the DFO cited.
Notably, a 12-year-old elephant was run over by a speeding train near Hatibari station under Sambalpur forest division December 21, 2020.
Another elephant was killed after being hit by Bhubaneswar-Rourkela Intercity Express near Gargadbahal village between Jujumura and Hatibari in the district December 6, 2020.
Likewise, a female jumbo had also died after coming in contact with live electric wire on a farmland near Kansar village under Sadar forest division in Sambalpur in January.
PNN