In a tragic incident in Gopeshwar, a town in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, a female bear and her cub lost their lives after coming into contact with a transformer at the Namami Gange sewage treatment plant.
Following the incident, a team from the Kedarnath Forest Division conducted post-mortem examinations on the animals before cremating them.
According to sources from the Forest Department, the sewage treatment plant under the Namami Gange project is located in the Vaitarani area of the town.
On Wednesday, employees of the project informed forest officials about the electrocution of two bears near a transformer. Responding promptly, Tarun S., the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Kedarnath Wildlife Division, along with Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Jugal Kishore Chauhan and their team, visited the site.
Speaking to TNIE, DFO Tarun S. highlighted ongoing concerns regarding wildlife safety. He stated, "Wooden poles were installed around the transformer, and the transformer was placed on the ground, which was not a foolproof mechanism implemented by the project."
He further remarked, "We have brought this matter to the attention of higher authorities and will also inform them about the negligence of the STP operators. The Kedarnath area, which is rich in wildlife, requires special measures for wildlife protection, and we will insist on the implementation of foolproof mechanisms there."
Additionally, DFO Tarun S. underscored the importance of proactive measures, saying, "We have also suggested that government organisations conduct wildlife safety audits to prevent such incidents in the future. Other organisations should also come forward to ensure efforts towards wildlife safety."
Sub-Divisional Officer Jugal Kishore Chauhan provided additional details, stating, "The female bear was around six years old, and her cub was just 11 months old. The incident took place late at night. The cub was discovered lying in front of the transformer, indicating that it had been electrocuted first. When the mother bear came to save her cub, she also succumbed to the electric shock, leading to the heartbreaking loss of both."
The deceased bears were removed from the transformer using ropes, and two veterinarians conducted post-mortems before forest department personnel cremated the animals.
The Namami Gange STP plant has previously faced scrutiny over safety measures. Forest officials have raised concerns that the transformer at the Vaitarani plant is placed directly on the ground and lacks adequate security measures, posing a severe risk to wildlife in the surrounding forest area.
It is worth noting that on 19th July last year, 16 individuals tragically lost their lives due to electrocution at the STP plant in Chamoli. Since then, the administration has reportedly been conducting regular meetings to address safety concerns. However, sources indicate that safety measures at the Vaitarani plant remain insufficient.
Commenting on the current situation, Executive Engineer S.K. Srivastava of the Water Works Department explained, "After the Chamoli current accident, all STPs have been secured. At the Vaitarani STP, wooden and iron angle barricades have been installed around the transformer. However, a bear and its cub managed to breach the barricades and reached the transformer, resulting in them being electrocuted."