Jhargram elephant death: Report blames clueless hulla teams
The Times of India
September 6, 2024
Kolkata: A fact-finding committee report on the elephant death in Jhargram
on Aug 15 from a banned flaming torch has attributed it to clueless hulla
party members, their forceful driving of the elephants and absence of
effective crowd control measures. The report also indicated that the forest
department had deployed the hulla parties, consisting of 70-80 members. The
use of the torch (hulla) violates a Supreme Court order, according to
activists.
The committee report said that none of the examined forest officials had
witnessed the incident, indicating that no forest department representative
was deputed to manage the hulla parties.
The report also highlighted the absence of the DFO at the site since he was
overseeing the translocation of a tusker in another part of Jhargram that
day.
According to the report, an element of fatigue had also set in as the teams
had been working since Aug 13. Jhargram DFO Umar Imam refused to comment.
The report indicated the presence of three hulla parties from different
ranges. The crowd was allegedly disproportionately large compared to the
area in which the elephants were confined and there seemed to be a lack of
active crowd management despite the presence of police. This led the
elephants to panic and attack the hulla parties. Three hulla party members
even sustained injuries. The report suggests that the female elephant was
possibly hit with a burning hulla on its back.
Following a PIL in 2018, the Supreme Court had prohibited use of hullas.
The panel of Sandeep Sundriyal (principal chief conservator of forests), NS
Murali (GM of West Bengal Forest Development Corporation), Bidyut Sarkar
(chief conservator of forests) and Joydip Kundu (state wildlife advisory
board member) submitted the report to head of forest force (HOFF) Niraj
Singhal on Wednesday.
Two persons have been arrested and legal proceedings initiated, added
Singhal. Sundriyal didn’t make any comment.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/jhargram-elephant-death-report-blames-clueless-hulla-teams/articleshow/113106924.cms
Jhargram elephant death: Report blames clueless hulla teams
The Times of India
September 6, 2024
Kolkata: A fact-finding committee report on the elephant death in Jhargram
on Aug 15 from a banned flaming torch has attributed it to clueless hulla
party members, their forceful driving of the elephants and absence of
effective crowd control measures. The report also indicated that the forest
department had deployed the hulla parties, consisting of 70-80 members. The
use of the torch (hulla) violates a Supreme Court order, according to
activists.
The committee report said that none of the examined forest officials had
witnessed the incident, indicating that no forest department representative
was deputed to manage the hulla parties.
The report also highlighted the absence of the DFO at the site since he was
overseeing the translocation of a tusker in another part of Jhargram that
day.
According to the report, an element of fatigue had also set in as the teams
had been working since Aug 13. Jhargram DFO Umar Imam refused to comment.
The report indicated the presence of three hulla parties from different
ranges. The crowd was allegedly disproportionately large compared to the
area in which the elephants were confined and there seemed to be a lack of
active crowd management despite the presence of police. This led the
elephants to panic and attack the hulla parties. Three hulla party members
even sustained injuries. The report suggests that the female elephant was
possibly hit with a burning hulla on its back.
Following a PIL in 2018, the Supreme Court had prohibited use of hullas.
The panel of Sandeep Sundriyal (principal chief conservator of forests), NS
Murali (GM of West Bengal Forest Development Corporation), Bidyut Sarkar
(chief conservator of forests) and Joydip Kundu (state wildlife advisory
board member) submitted the report to head of forest force (HOFF) Niraj
Singhal on Wednesday.
Two persons have been arrested and legal proceedings initiated, added
Singhal. Sundriyal didn’t make any comment.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/jhargram-elephant-death-report-blames-clueless-hulla-teams/articleshow/113106924.cms
