State gets NOC from Centre to shift 13 tuskers from Kamlapur to Jamnagar
State gets NOC from Centre to shift 13 tuskers from Kamlapur to Jamnagar
The Hitavada
May 12, 2022
Out of eight, four healthy jumbos will be kept in Kamlapur itself and
Jamnagar’s Radhe Krishna Elephant Welfare Trust will bear all expenditure
incurred on the upkeep of these elephants too
Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of
India, has given a green signal to Maharashtra Forest Department to
transfer 13 elephants from Kamlapur elephant camp, Sironcha, Patanil and
Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) to Radhe Krishna Elephant Welfare Trust
at Jamnagar in Gujarat. According to a letter issued by Yuvraj S,
Conservator of Forest (P&M), Nagpur, the aged and untrained elephants with
their calves will be sent to Jamnagar and the Trust will provide better
medical facilities to them.
The Trust will bear all the expenditure right from transportation to
facilities and comfort. It will not engage them in any works, the letter
stated. Forest Department is taking help of different veterinary experts
from government and private institutions to provide a better health to
these elephants in the camp. After tremendous protest by citizens of
Chandrapur district, the government has decided to keep four healthy
elephants out of eight in Kamlapur itself and remaining will be shifted to
Jamnagar. The Trust will also take care of all requirements of four jumbos
in Kamlapur and bear all expenses incurred in the upkeep of the elephants.
The elephants were brought to Kamlapur for the purpose of timber-logging.
These elephants have been kept at the camp since their use for
timber-logging was stopped. At present, there are four elephants from
Kamlapur Camp, three from Patanil Camp in Gadchiroli and 6 from TATR to be
shifted to Jamnagar. The camp started way back in 1960 when four elephants
were brought to the camp from Nashik for transportation of logs of huge
trees. Though this place is remote, locals employed on daily-wages are
appointed here to take care of the elephants. The elephants require 45 kgs
of rice, five kgs of jaggery, one litre oil, and one kg salt daily for
their diet. Kamlapur of Gadchiroli district is the only camp for elephants
in Maharashtra.
Due to the scenic beauty of the place and the natural habitat of the
elephants, the protest erupted at a massive level against the shifting of
these jumbos. Suresh Chopane, Member, MoEF&CC, said, “It is right that
Forest Department is facing financial crunch to take care of these
elephants in Kamlapur. Now, the decision of Central Government to keep four
jumbos in Kamlapur itself on the expenditure of the Trust is a welcome
decision.” “Maharashtra has a limited number of elephants and most of them
are in Gadchiroli and in TATR. The Central Government should come forward
and declare Gadchiroli for elephant tourism for the better life of these
jumbos and it will also help to create job opportunities for locals,” said
Chopane.