Monitoring cell to prevent wild animal deaths owing to human lapses

Darjeeling: A monitoring cell has been constituted under the aegis of the Forest department with representatives from different state and Central government departments to keep tab and prevent wild animal deaths owing to human lapses in North Bengal.

"The newly constituted monitoring cell will keep a strict tab, will visit vulnerable areas and ensure that such cases can be prevented. Any advisory or report will also be sent to the DM and SP of the concerned district," stated Rajib Banerjee, state Forest minister, addressing media persons on the occasion of World Rhinoceros Day commemorations at Bengal Safari Park.

The minister also inaugurated a beat office and an herbal garden in Salugarah under the Baikanthapur forest division near Siliguri. A meeting was held and a monitoring cell constituted with representatives of Railways, PWD, National Highway, WBSEDCL and tea associations.

"We have told the railway authorities that goods trains cannot run through the forests as per Supreme Court ruling. There were 14 Mail and Express trains running through the Siliguri-Falakata stretch. Eight have already been diverted. We have requested for diversion of the rest. If they cannot be diverted then the Railway has to ensure that in no way they breach the specific speed limit of 25 to 30 kmph through the forest stretch," stated Banerjee. An elephant corridor, on the lines of a subway, is also on the anvil. The Asian highway, two state highways and one national highway passes through these forest stretches. "We have instructed the concerned department to put up signage regarding speed limits. As speed breakers cannot be put up on highways, we will use rubber strips at vulnerable places that will act as speed breakers to check hit and run," he added.

The WBSEDCL has been instructed to check the height of electric poles and to keep a strict lookout for hookings, the main cause of animal deaths owing to electrocution. Tea Associations have been asked to ensure that gardens immediately replace razor blade barbed wires.

At the inauguration of the herbal garden, he urged the farmers to take up cultivation of medicinal plants as cash crop. The minister also stated that more than 200 forest beat offices will be built across the state for better interaction with the public. In near future, 500 to 600 persons will be employed or engaged by the Forest department in North Bengal.