Police and forest department to ensure strict vigil on Sendra

Jamshedpur, May 2: The East Singhbhum district administration and forest department have worked out a joint strategy to prevent the tribals from hunting animals in the Dimna forest during the Sendra festival on May 8.

And, on the other hand the Dalma Buru Sendra Samity, (DBSS) is adamant on practicing the ritual of hunting animals as mark of celebration on the traditional Sendra festival day. Even though, the forest department has maintained that awareness campaign in the villages surrounding the Dalma forest has worked positively and there is little threat to the animals on the Sendra day.

In view of Sendra (Bishu Shikar), the annual hunting festival of tribals on May 8, the entire state forest machinery will be camping at Dalma wildlife sanctuary to ensure that the ritual is observed bloodless.

Senior forest officials, including the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), chief conservator of forests, assistant chief conservator of forests, divisional forest officers and range officers will start arriving in Jamshedpur from May 6 and leave once Sendra concludes.

According to information all the accommodations at Dalma � guest house at Pinderbera, cottages at Makulakocha and a two room facility as well as the forest guest house in Mango have been booked from May 6 to 8.

Dalma range officer R.P. Singh said senior officials will keep vigil on the security arrangements during Sendra. �We want to ensure safety and bloodless celebration. So most senior forest officers are coming to monitor the security arrangements. We will be making elaborate security arrangements to ensure a bloodless Sendra,� he added. Singh was today busy finalising chart for deployment of forest security guards at the sanctuary.

The forest department has planned to put up temporary checkpoints at nine places in the East Singhbhum and adjoining Seraikela-Kharswan district apparently to prevent ritual enthusiast hunters from venturing into the 98 sq km Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary with lethal weapons.

The divisional forest officer of Dalma (wildlife) has written to the East Singhbhum district administration seeking cooperation for deploying adequate security by barricading nine entry points to the Dalma forest area.

�Since last few days we have been extensively carrying out awareness drive among the tribals in particular, and villagers at large to minimise the threat to the wildlife and we are confident that our efforts will bear positive result,� said, Dalma range forest official.

Of the 82 villages that fall within the Dalma forest jurisdiction a majority have acceded to the forest department official�s word besides, the eco club members who largely played the role on behalf of the forest department in convincing the villagers about the implications of killing animals too are confident of �no loss of life� in the jungles of Dalma on the Sendra day.

�Basically, the youths in large number take part in the Sendra festival and this time we have achieved some degree of success in convincing them about the legal consequences they are likely to invite by disturbing the ecology,� noted, Kartik Mahato, member eco club, Sugendih village, Patamda block.

The nine locations identified for check-points are Devgarh, Dhalbhumgarh, Pipla, Patamda, Paridih Kali Mandir and two places each in Bhadudih and Bahragora.