Villagers in trouble for causing tusker's death

Ganeshram Rathia, along with other villagers, stretched electric fencing in the village to protect lives and property from wild animals. A wild tusker fell in the trap and died of electrocution; pushing Ganeshram and eight others behind the bar.

Nine villagers from Baigamarg village, about 50 km from the district headquarters of Korba, would not have landed in trouble. The village was supposed to be rehabilitated as an elephant reserve that had been proposed in the area following movement of tuskers migrating from neighbouring Orissa and Jharkhand.

But rich coal deposits and alleged pressure from private parties that had been allotted the blocks had put the Elephant Reserve proposal under in cold storage. The reluctance of Chhattisgarh government not only put the lives and property of villagers at risk, wildlife was in danger.

 

This is the second such incident in two months in the area when wild tusker had died of electrocution, Lakshmi Chauhan, director of non-government organization, Sarthak, said. “Villagers are helpless to act against the animals as about two dozen people have been killed by the tuskers in the district in the past three years,” he added.

Chauhan, who had filed an application before the Central Empowered Committee for directing the state government to expedite the notification of Elephant Reserve, said that the authorities were delaying the process. “The area has been declared 'no-go’ by the ministry of forests and environment but still, Chhattisgarh government is avoiding to notify it,” he added.

Forest officials had sent the proposal to the state government for the Reserve. But the latter did not pay any heed. The proposal to develop Elephant Reserve was sent to the government in 2009 but no action had been taken, Divisional Forest Officer of Korba Hemant Pandey said.

The state government, however, declined to comment on its reluctance to notify the Elephant Reserve.

“I cannot say anything on the issue as I am on leave and will speak only after joining three-four days,” state's forest secretary B S Anant told Business Standard.

According to a report of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the proposed site of Elephant Reserve has an estimated coal reserve of 13,000 Million Tonnes.

About half a dozen companies had been allotted coal blocks in the area. But the companies were waiting for the environment clearances to start mining operation.

Interestingly, CII had written a letter to the state government urging to shift the proposed Reserve to some other suitable location to protect the interests of private parties. “It is astonishing to demand shifting of Reserve that is not possible technically” Chauhan contended. Elephants move in a fixed path and the Reserve has been planned according to their movement. “Just to protect the interests of a few companies, it is baseless to demand shifting of the Reserve,” Chauhan added.