KUMUD JENAMANI
Jamshedpur, Oct 3: The Jharkhand Forest Department is going to organise a marathon race in the foothills of Dalma on October 5.
Aimed at creating awareness for the conservation of wild animals, especially elephants, the marathon “Run for Gajraj” will consist of lucrative cash rewards for the winners.
The participants will be both male and female, and the prize money will also be separate for both groups, starting from Rs 31,000 to Rs 5,000 in five categories respectively.
The marathon will be for 16 km and flagged off at Saharbera in the foothills of Dalma at 7.00 am on Sunday. It will pass through four villages having mud roads to end at Saharbera itself.
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Large Participation Expected
Revealing about the event, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Ranchi Wildlife Division, Saba Alam said that so far 2,500 persons, including females, have got their names registered for participation in the marathon event and expressed hope that the number of participants will go up further by the time the event starts.
“Though the marathon is meant to create awareness for the protection and conservation of wild animals, focus will be on the elephants only,” said the DFO while talking to The Jharkhand Story.
Elephant Exodus and Corridor Disruption
Alam informed that after a gap of long period, five elephants returned to Dalma a few days ago. He stated that the hill was otherwise bereft of any wild elephant.
“Though there is a very negligible number of elephants at the Dalma hill now, a substantial number of them are anchored at Chakulia in Ghatsila sub-division of the district and also at Chandil in the adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district,” said the senior forest officer.
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Alam pointed out that the exodus of wild elephants from Dalma was the result of a 16-km-long trench dug by the West Bengal Forest Department five years ago, as the movement of the tuskers was disturbed due to the trench dug in the middle of the elephant corridor stretched between the two states.
