KUMUD JENAMANI
Jamshedpur, Nov 28: “Jharkhand power discom’s insensitivity is the main reason behind the electrocution death of seven wild elephants in Ghatsila sub-division of the East Singhbhum district recently, ” said RCCF (Regional Chief Conservator of Forests), Kolhan, Ravi Ranjan.
Ravi Ranjan made the adverse comment on the state power discom, Jharkhand Bijli Vitaran Nigam Ltd (JBVNL) after a high-level team from the Centre had been to Chakulia and Mosabani in the Ghatsila sub-division on Sunday to probe the pachyderms’ electrocution death in such a large number.
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The senior forest department officer who had also chipped in the probe team while talking to The Jharkhand Story said that at a number of stretches in the forest area overhead high-tension lines have been drawn at a very low level.
“At some stretch, the high-tension line is dangling at a dangerous condition, which indicates that the JBVNL functionaries concerned are not at all sanitizing the power line network keeping the elephants’ safety and security in the forest area, ” he pointed out.
Ravi Ranjan said they have identified as many as 67 points where the overhead high-tension lines have run through the forest area at dangerously low levels.
The senior forest officer said that even though the matter has to be handled by the forest department itself, they have raised the issue pertaining to the JBVNL’s callousness at the level of Kolhan Commissioner and even at the level of chief secretary.
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Notably, five wild elephants were electrocuted at a forest stretch in Mosabani as a high-tension line fell on them on November 21. Two days later, two more wild elephants were electrocuted at separate places in Chakulia as the tuskers came in contact with the high-tension line, running at a very low height.
Significantly, though days have elapsed since the seven elephants were killed in the Ghatsila sub-division, no case has been registered against anyone so far.
DFO, Jamshedpur, Mamta Priyadarshi under whose jurisdiction Ghatsila sub-division falls said the matter is being investigated.
“We will lodge an FIR against the guilty persons only after receiving the investigation report,” said the DFO while talking to The Jharkhand Story.
