“Two-three elephants and other wild animals are being killed by poachers in Odisha every week. As animals play vital role for protection of forests and also for development, their protection are badly necessary. Hence, the State Government should take strong measures to protect them,” demanded Odisha Krusham Mahasangha president and former MLA Bibhudhendra Pratap Das ahead the World Elephant Day on October 2. He too demanded Government should announce to provide adequate compensation to farmers, whose crops would be lost by jumbos. In a letter to Chief Secretary, Das suggested that elephant killing would checked to a big extent if poachers are held and strong legal action is taken against them within a very short period of time.
“Time lines should be fixed for disposal of cases of animal killing by poachers. A special court should be established preferably at Angul for the purpose,” suggested Das.
He said informer of animal killing and poachers should rewarded cash prize between `10,000 and `50, 000 and their name should be kept secret so that common people of forest areas would come forward to inform forest and police officials about animal poaching whenever they know of it.
Besides, anti-poaching mobile squads should be formed, preferably involving retired Defence personnel, to nab poachers and seize stolen forest products, Das further suggested. Das submitted newspaper clippings on elephant and other wild animal deaths along with his letter to the Chief Secretary. The clippings showed that around 200 elephants had died in three years between 2013-14 and 2015-16 despite the fact that the Government had spent `11.62 crore to check elephant deaths during the period.
He too rued that as many as 21 elephants died during the last four months only.
Notably, Forests and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh recently revealed in the State Assembly that 393 elephants have during last five years.