On poll day, keeping tuskers away: Forest dept gets jumbo task

Kolkata/Jaldapara: The forest department has put in place special measures to ensure voter safety during the first phase of the Bengal assembly elections on Thursday, with a focus on elephant-prone areas of south and north Bengal.

Around 25 polling booths have been identified as sensitive in south Bengal because of their proximity to active elephant corridors. Jhargram district accounts for nearly 60% of these vulnerable booths, most of them in Manikpara, Belpahari, Banspahari and Lalgarh. Bankura, Barjora, Sonamukhi and Radhanagar have been marked as sensitive, while West Midnapore, Garbeta and Pirakata are among key concern areas.





In north Bengal, forest officials have mapped six booths inside forest villages of Jaldapara National Park. Voters and polling officials at these booths will be provided special escorts. "A control room will be active and contact numbers have been shared with all so that it can be approached in case of any man-animal conflict situation. A QRT team will be on standby at Madarihat 24x7 for tackling any kind of emergency situation," said Parveen Kaswan, DFO, Jaldapara wildlife division.

To prevent any human-elephant conflict, the department has mobilised around 75 tracker teams across the identified elephant corridors. Each team consists of 10 to 15 trained personnel, depending on the terrain and level of vulnerability. The teams have been deployed 48 hours ahead of polling and will maintain round-the-clock vigil.

As part of its preparedness in south Bengal, the department has installed around 450 to 500 drop gates at critical entry points, particularly along border areas adjoining Jharkhand and Odisha, to regulate elephant movement. In addition, select locations have been equipped with AI-enabled CCTV surveillance systems to monitor elephant activity. The arrangements are being monitored by Dr Singaram Kulandaivel, chief conservator of forests, Western Circle.
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