8-point guidelines issued to prevent animal attacks on students during Madhyamik

KOLKATA: Soon after the tragic death of a Madhyamik examinee in an elephant attack in Jalpaiguri on Thursday morning, the state Forest department issued eight-point guidelines for concerned officials to prevent such incidents in the days to come.

The Madhyamik examination that started on Thursday will be held till March 4. The Higher Secondary examination will begin on March 14 and will continue till March 27.

According to the order issued by Vivek Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary of Forest department the officers of the Forest Directorate have been asked to make out all efforts to ensure that examinees can travel to their examination centres and come back without any physical risk from wild animals, especially wild elephants.

The DFOs (Divisional Forest Officers) have been directed to arrange for extensive miking for public awareness on which roads to avoid and what precautions to take. They will also arrange the erection of temporary drop gates at entry and exit points in areas where wild elephants are present.

Kumar has also ordered ensuring the deployment of ‘Airawat’ special vehicles along with mobile petrol at all vulnerable stretches.Airawat — a vehicle fitted with equipment to drive away or tranquillise elephants — is used by the forest department to manage sudden human-animal conflict situations.

The leave of all field staff should be cancelled during the Board examination season.

The officials have been asked to seek the assistance of the district administration and police for making the arrangements.Measures should also be taken for transporting examinees through critical/vulnerable stretches, in close coordination with district magistrates, RTOs and District Inspectors of School. A daily report from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest & Chief Wildlife Warden has been sought about the actions taken by the field units in ensuring students / public safety from wild animals by monitoring these actions until the end of the

board examination.