Pits in reserve forest obstruct movement of animals under Digboi Forest division

Injured elephant calf rescued

OUR CORRESPONDENT

DIGBOI: An injured elephant calf was rescued from a pit located within the operational area under Oil's Eastern Producing Area (EPA) at Digboi in the Tinsukia district under the Digboi Forest division. The innocent calf was rescued with the collective efforts of the forest department, local NGOs and security personnel from Indian Oil Corporation.

"The calf, which was around 14 months old, might have emerged from one of the corridors of the Upper Dehing Reserve Forest in search of fodder which accidentally fell into an uncovered and deserted pit within the oil's area and got stuck to it," said one of the forest personals engaged in the rescue operation.

"The rescued calf sustained skin abrasions and after preliminary treatment and feeding, the creature was set into the reserve forest at large," said Ranjit Ram, DFO Digboi.

When asked about the nature of the scattered pits in the forest area and the actions initiated with regard to the maintenance of the pits, the official acknowledged the potential risks of having such open and uncovered pits amidst the forest which were built during the British regime in India.

According to the DFO, he has brought the matter to the notice of Oil India Limited earlier demanding immediate action to this effect as the pits posed serious threats to the fauna kingdom in the forest. "I have asked for the number of the scattered pits erected within the forest division and urged the oil authority to work on it without delay," asserted the official.

"The calf might have got stuck a couple of days back and the bruised skin indicated that it was struggling hard to come out of the pit of its own, said nature activist Bijoy Gogoi while alleging that the shifting and erection of the IOCL terminals in Golai area ( a part of elephant corridor) have adversely affected the movements of the elephants in the area.

The movement of the elephants through the designated Golai corridors have been mercilessly obstructed during the to-and-fro movements of the herds of elephants from upper Dehing reserve forest's east block to west block following the shift of the oil terminal from Tinsukia to Digboi Goal area at the cost of wildlife resources.

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