KHAMMAM: Following the death of a journalist due to a landmine blast in Odisha on Saturday, scribes working in Bhadrachalam have decided to be extremely careful in covering the news.
The landmine is believed to have been planted by Maoists since the Bhadrachalam agency area, which is very near to the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border, is known for Naxal activities.
In fact, the situation is such that Maoists are running a parallel government in thick forest areas in Chhattisgarh State.
The presence of Maoists in the area means that there are a number of incidents taking place and journalists have very little time to reach the border areas to gather information. This results in precautions being cast aside.
Over the years, a sizeable number of pressure bombs and landmines have been found in the area, and many journalists have had narrow escapes.
According to information, thousands of landmines and pressure bombs that were planted in the forest areas by Maoists to target security forces remain undetected, posing danger to whoever ventures into the woods. Last year, some journalists from Cherla mandal headquarters narrowly escaped a pressure bomb blast.