Unique methods to keep elephants away from human settlements
ROURKELA: Unique methods like use of LED lights with siren and bio-acoustics are being used by Forest department to keep elephants away from human settlements in interior areas of Odisha’s Sundergarh district.
The new techniques are put to use as the wild animals have made life miserable for the residents in several areas like Hemgiri, Sabdega and other places, Forest officials said.
The jumbos demolish houses destroy standing crops like paddy and vegetables. Farmers appear to be more worried about protecting the paddy and other farm produces.
“We are now using some new techniques and plans are afoot to introduce some other methods for which we need government s approval,” said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sundergarh, Arun Kumar Mishra.
Amongst the techniques being used are LED lights with sirens, scare away guns and bioacoustics. “The LED lights and sirens are being used after the experience in Jaspur in Chhattisgarh,” said the DFO.
The high power lights along with sirens are helping in scaring away the jumbos. However, these have limited effect.
What really helped was the scare away guns. The scare away gun is nothing but a big look alike of an old artillery gun kept at forts along with a gas cylinder. In 45 seconds it will fire one shot making a deafening sound of enough decibel to scare away the elephant, he said.
“This is not 100 per cent successful but so far has scared the elephants away,” said Mishra.
The bio-acoustics is nothing but a machine, which has sounds of animals like boar and elephants when they are in stress or distress.
“This helps but has to be used in isolation because elephants are very clever when they listen human voices along with this they do not go away as they understand no one is in problem,” said Mishra. HYDERABAD: YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Sunday said the TDP government in Andhra Pradesh is pursuing “anti-people” policies and hit out at Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu over defection of party MLAS.
Claiming the people are fedup with TDP polices and corruption under its rule, YSRCP leaders asserted the party will win the 2019 Assembly elections. “It is high time the antipeople policies of TDP are rejected outright to pave the way for the golden era of YSR (former AP Chief Minister late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy),” they said.
Speaking at the party’s Foundation Day function, party MP Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy said, “We (YSR Congress) have completed six years and have to resolve that we will fight corruption and anti-people polices of the TDP government.”
YSR Congress leaders said the Centre should keep its promise of granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
“Naidu’s lack of morals and also manipulative skills came to the fore when he lured 21 of our MLAS and two MPS to his side using corrupt methods. Such practices are a mockery of democracy. People are waiting to teach him a lesson,” they said, according to the party release.
“YSR Congress is the future and youth in large numbers are getting attracted to the party as they want to see Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy (party chief) as Chief Minister after the 2019 elections,” they said.