DEHRADUN: Due to the growing terror of elephants and leopards in the forests of Dhela range of Jim Corbett National Park, children are going to school with special armed protection from forest personnel.
Shriram Yadav, principal of Government Inter College Dhela, gave this information to Dhela Ranger Sanchita Verma. Speaking to The New Indian Express, Sanchita Verma, forest range officer of Dhela range, said, “School children noticed footprints of elephants and leopards on their way to Patrani forest village, following which the forest department has made elaborate arrangements for their safety.”
Navendu Mathpal, a teacher at Dhela Inter College, said that for a few days, children coming from Patrani had reported sighting elephants on the way. This information was given to the Dhela range of Corbett Tiger Reserve Park. Children were advised not to go to school if there was a high risk. On Thursday, the children said that the elephant blocked the children’s way and on the way, a tigress was also seen along with its young cubs.
RO Sanchita further said, “Two separate armed teams have been deployed in Jhirna and Dhela ranges in morning and evening shifts to ferry school children from home to school and back.”Since there are three to four routes that children pass through to reach the school, given the current situation, an attempt is being made to decide a route on which it is accessible for children with full security”, she added.
Sanchita also said, “On Saturday, school children from Patrani along with forest personnel Manwar Rawat, Kapil Rawat, Kuber Bangari were brought from Patrani in a vehicle of Dhela range and were later dropped home.”