Fear grips Haridwar locals over increased tuskers’ movement
HARIDWAR: Locals are living under fear due to an increased elephant movement in the residential areas in Haridwar district, officials aware of the matter said.
With rising temperatures, elephants are moving in search of water and venturing towards residential areas and areas around Ganga, wildlife experts pointed out.
At Bahadrabad block, just 12 kms away from the city, local people for the past two days have reported elephant movement in and around Bahadrabad.
Tusker movement by local villagers is also being reported from Patanjali Yogpeeth, Ahmadpur Grant, Ahamdpur, Suman Nagar and nearby stretches of National Highway 58.
“Elephant movement has increased in recent times particularly with the onset of summer. Though, during February too elephants were spotted around sugarcane fields on several instances. Sugarcane and mustard crops got ravaged then. We demand protection from elephants otherwise villagers are living in constant fear,” said 40-year-old Ravi Chauhan, a resident of Ahmadpur.
Forest department while taking cognisance of the elephant movement has upped patrolling in the sensitive areas.
“The movement of an elephant at Bahadrabad has come to light after which patrolling and vigil have been intensified in the area. An elephant has been roaming in this stretch for the past few days. We are trying to shoo away the tusker back to the forest terrain,” said deputy forest ranger Indra Singh.
He said CCTV footage is also being scanned to track the movement of the elephants.
Assistant professor at the department of Environment Science at Gurukul Kangri University Dr Gagan Matta said, “Elephants are also reaching towards agricultural fields along with Ganga canal, flowing near the Haridwar-Bahadrabad-Roorkee stretch, in search of food and water. The elephant spotted at Bahadrabad is probably hiding near a secluded dense area adjacent to Ganga Canal. Around dawn and dusk, movement of wild animals is primarily spotted as during the time, it is sultry these days.”
Last week a herd of elephants damaged religious items selling vending stalls on the route of the revered Mata Chandi Devi shrine adjacent Haridwar-Najibabad highway.
On March 5, after a Jeep driver on his way to Neelkanth shrine in Pauri Garhwal was trampled to death by an elephant.