SAMBALPUR: Facing heat over rising number of elephant deaths, the State government has placed under suspension the Sambalpur Sadar forest range officer for negligence in providing protection to the jumbos.
Divisional forest officer (DFO) of Sambalpur Sanjeet Kumar said range officer Gourishankar Das was placed under suspension as per the government’s order and has been immediately attached with the office of Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF).
The government had sought a report on the death of elephants in sadar forest range in the previous years. Basing on the reports of the DFO, RCCF and PCCF, the government decided to suspend the ranger.
Das was found neglecting his duties which led to a high number of elephant deaths reported in last two years from 2019 to 2021. During 2019-20, two elephant deaths were reported in the range.
On November 15, 2019, a male elephant died due to electrocution at Bhimkhoj. Similarly, another elephant was found dead at Basiapara Birsinhgarh reserve forest in March last year.
In 2020-21, four elephant deaths were reported in the same range within a span of around two months. Official sources said on November 30 last year, a male elephant died due to electrocution at Jaduloising beat of Basiapara.
This apart, an elephant was killed after being hit by Bhubaneswar-Rourkela Intercity Express near Gargadbahal village between Jujumura and Hatibari on December 6, 2020.
On December 21 last year, a 12-year-old elephant was run over by Puri-Surat Express near Hatibari station in Sambalpur forest division. A female elephant also died after coming in contact with a live wire in a farmland near Kansar on January 21 this year.