Formation of joint action group demanded and reducing wildlife attacks around CSTPS, WCL
Taking serious note of increasing cases of human deaths in tiger/leopard attacks in Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR)buffer villages, peripheries and in the vicinity of Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station (CSTPS) in Durgapur and WCL mining areas, MP Balu Dhanorkar and Legislator Pratibha Dhanorkar have demanded forming of joint action group of Forest Department, CSTPS and WCL, for reducing man-animal conflict.
They made this demand during a review meeting held in the Collectorate in Chandrapur on Friday. Ajay Gulhare, Collector, Arvind Salve, Superintendent of Police, Jitendra Ramgaonkar, Field Director, TATR, Pankaj Sapate, General Manager, CSTPS, Meshram, Resident Deputy Collector, Khade, DFO, Kawale, Shabir, Regional Managers, WCL, Anil Dhanorkar, Chairman of Nagar Parishad and Gopal Amrutkar were present.
The participants made suggestions to remove shrubs, bushes in the power station and Durgapur vicinity and hence tigers, leopards or sloth-bears are not seen immediately. CSTPS and WCL should take the responsibility of clearing the shrubs/bushes by the side of roads at earliest possible. The power station should complete the work of 900 metres compound wall and Forest Department should form joint action team to monitor movements of wild animals. Some participants made a suggestion for submitting a proposal to the administration to shift seven tigers elsewhere from this area. Moreover, towers should be erected for security of WCL workers working inside.
Meanwhile, Kishor Rithe, President of Satpuda Foundation and Member of State Board for Wildlife, said that wildlife experts had cautioned both the organisations for removing shrubs and weed and make the area under their possession wildlife unfriendly in a time bound matter but they failed to do so. The recent two deaths in leopard attacks could have been avoided, he added.
