32 elephants found during census in
B'ngir
Saturday, 03 June
2017 | PNS | BALANGIR
A total of 32 elephants were found in
the Balangir Forest Division during the four-day Elephant Census-2017 which was
carried out from May 9 to 12.
According to forest office sources,
out of the 32 elephants, there are five adult males (tuskers), 20 females, four
sub-adults and three calves.
While 31 elephants were sighted in
the Salebhata section of the loisingha Forest Range, only one was spotted in
the larambha section of the Patnagarh Forest Range.
The elephants were sighted at Gajar
Munda (a big water body) near Nuniapali and Kesipali village under the
Salebhata section and larambha beat in the Patnagarh Forest Range.
A total of 25 Machans had been
erected in the Balangir, loisingha, Deogaon, Patnagarh and lathore Forest
Ranges for the elephant census.
DFO Rashmi Ranjan Nayak, ACF Goutam
Naik, Honourary Wildlife Warden Sudhir Mishra; loisingha Range Officer Nabin
Das and Forester Sunil Mishra coordinated and monitored the census.
============================
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Calf born in jumbo herd on prowl in
B’ngir
Tuesday, 26 November
2019 | PNS | BALANGIR
0The residents of Upperjhar and nearby
villages in Balangir forest range who have been facing an elephant menace and
suffering crop loss due to damages caused by a pachyderm herd for last 15days
woke up to a news of birth of a baby elephant in the herd. At around 3.30 am,
the baby elephant was born in Upperjhar forest.
“Our forest staff noticed the baby
elephant on Monday morning. After the birth of baby, the herd took it inside
the forest. Our staff are keeping a tab on the movement of elephants there,”
said Divisional Forest Officer, Balangir, Sameer Satpathy.
There are around 12 elephants,
including the newborn, in the herd, which has been staying in the Upperjhar
forest area over last fortnight. As there is a dense forest and water bodies
like Muda and a minor irrigation project inside the forest, the elephants are
finding the spot ideal. They are also getting enough of paddy crop and
sugarcane cultivated in nearby areas.
===============================================
‘Turn B'ngir waterfalls into
eco-tourism spots'
Friday, 13 December
2019 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR
On the occasion of the International
Day of Mountains, villagers of Sagadghat have demanded that the two natural
waterfalls, Kadalijharan and Aam Jharan, in the Barnei mountain,in Titilagarh
Forest Range,65km from here, be developed as ecotourism spots.
The Sagadghat villagers,led by
Sarpanch Olita Sahu, appraised their demand to Balangir Divisional Forest
Officer (DFO) Sameer Satpathy,who visited the spot on Wednesday. The DFO urged
the villagers to protect forest and mountain and assured them to take necessary
measures in this regard.
There are two mountain streams,
namely Kadalijharan and Aam Jharan.While Aam Jharan (stream) is at the top,the
Kadalijharan is at the bottom of the mountain. Besides this ,there are numerous
jharans (stream) in the Burni mountain.
Earlier a sage was living here.There
were large numbers of mango and banana trees. One would get plenty to eat.
There is a belief going on that
anybody who brought fruits from the top of the moutain would find them
turn stone after reaching the foot of the hill.
Moreover, the mountain stream water
is believed to contain medicinal properties and bathing there is beneficial.
There is a Shiva Linga in the mountain which appeared to have come up
naturally.
==============================================
Elephant
kills woman in Balangir
Sunday, 12 April
2020 | PNS | BALANGIR
An elephant trampled a 90-year-old woman to death after
destroying a house at Hanupali village under Khaprakhol block in Balangir
district late on Friday night.
The deceased was identified as Belamati Bariha.
The tusker strayed into the village and destroyed the
house belonging to Srimukha Bariha. Earlier, the elephant had also eaten paddy
and other food articles stored in the house.
Although Srimukha managed to flee from the house, his
mother Belamati failed to come out and fell victim to the elephant attack.
Belamati was rushed to the CHC in Khaprakhol and later was
shifted to the Patnagarh Sub-Divisional Hospital, where she was declared dead.
=====================================
Narasingha
urges people to plant trees
Wednesday, 08 July
2020 | PNS | BALANGIR
Local MLA and Congress Legislature Party Leader Narasingha
Mishra on Tuesday called upon people to plant more trees to protect environment
and meet climate change challenges.
He was speaking at a Bana Mahotsav at Khamarmunda
organised by the Balangir Forest Range. He planted an Amla tree on the
occasion.
He stressed the need to plant locally-suited and medicinal
plants like Bahada, Arjuna and Amla trees.
DFO Sameer Satpathy claimed that forest cover in the
district has increased. He said a plantation programme would be undertaken to
plant trees on a four-km stretch of National Highway divider beginning from the
Balongir Collectorate. Assistant Conservator of Forest BC Roul briefed about
the Bana Mohotsav. Social distancing and other Covid norms were followed.
================================
Conserving tiger corridors a key step'
Tuesday, 01 September
2020 | PNS | BALANGIR
Corridor conservation requires much
attention for tiger conservation in India and at the same time
transborder conservation especially with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh should
also get priority, observed former Member Secretary, National Tiger
Conservation Authority (NTCA) Anup Nayak at a Webinar.
The discussion was on future of tiger
conservation in India, organised by Stripes and Green Earth [SAGE] Foundation,
Kolkata on Sunday evening and attended by conservationist, wildlife
enthusiasts, researchers from Bangladesh, Kenya, Canada and from different
parts of India including West Bengal, Odisha, Rajasthan and Madhya
Pradesh
Nayak also said about importance of
conservation of 30 per cent tigers outside protected areas which is key a
step in tiger conservation by Involving local people, NGOs etc.
A few years ago, an amendment on NTCA
protocol was made on hiring private hunters/shooters to eliminate problematic
tigers.
A study is going on this issue,
replied Nayak to a question by Dr Jaswinder Sandhu From Canada on
rewinding white tigers and saving their gene pools.
======================================================================
Jumbo scare grips B’ngir villages
Monday, 14 September
2020 | PNS | BALANGIR
Even as the soaring Covid-19 positive
cases continue to heighten worries of the people and administration in the
district, in forests of Athgaon and Upparjhar villages, a herd of 14 elephants
has been on the move and damaging paddy crop, increasing the ordeal of farmers
further.https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif
The elephants on Thursday night came
to the villages and damaged crop. “We had cultivated paddy crop with much
difficulty in the lockdown situation.
Last year, we got very low amount of
compensation.
With the present loss due to the
elephant menace, we have been hit badly.” said a farmer of Phatamunda
village. “We are keeping a tab on the movement of jumbos,” said a forest
official.
===============================================
Cycle rally in B’ngir to sensitise
people on forest fire
Thursday, 18 March
2021 | PNS | BALANGIR
·
With a view to sensitising villagers on forest fire and its
prevention, a bicycle rally was flagged off by retired professor Madhusudan
Pati on Wednesday. Participated by students, youths, social workers,
journalists and staffs of the Forest Department including the local Divisional
Forest Officer (DFO), the rally marched through the town and then a meeting was
held at village Gandhrel, which witnessed forest fire recently.
Village women, youths and members of
the Vana Surakshya Samiti participated in the programme. They were told how
forest fire occurs and how it could be prevented. The speakers included Hemanta
Panda, Bolangir DFO Sameer Satpathy, Birendra Jhankar, Sudhir Mishra, among
many others. Responding to a point mentioned by Balangir Block Chairman Golap
Bag, DFO Satpathy announced that the Vana Surakshya Samti (VSS) of Phuljharan
village would get the incentive announced by the Government for checking and
recording zero occurrence of forest fire in their forest.
VSS members of Gandhrel would also
get torchlights which would help them climb down from the mountain after
dousing the forest fire in night, Satpathy said.All those present in the
meeting took a pledge to check occurrence of forest fire and save the forests.
=======================================================
8 deer die in 3 days at Harishankar
Park
Thursday, 05 August
2021 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR
As many as eight spotted deer have
died due to suspected infection at the Harishankar Deer Park in last three
days. On August 1, six deer died while two more perished in the next two days.
This has dismayed animal lovers
here.Alarmed at this development, a team of veterinary doctors from Bhubaneswar
visited the deer park on Tuesday and collected samples for further examination.
According to sources, the death of the deer was due to a sudden drop in
temperature and infighting among the animals. However the other deer are
responding to the treatment given by the veterinarians and the situation
is under control.Balangir Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Nitish Kumar, who
visited the park on Tuesday along with the veterinary doctors told the local
official to keep three deer in isolation and assured to take further steps to
remove the problem of space constraints.
The exact cause of the death of deer
would be known only after a laboratory test report is received, said the DFO to
this correspondent over phone.
=================================================
Jumbo kills man, injures another in
Balangir
Saturday, 18 September
2021 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR
In an unfortunate incident, an
elephant killed one Yadav Rana (45) of village Brahmani under the Harishankar
Forest Range in Balangir district on Thursday night.
The jumbo, after coming to the
village at around 9 pm, began damaging Rana’s house. When Rana came out of the
house, the elephant killed him on the spot. The elephant stayed at the village
overnight and attacked another person, Tarani Bhoi (35) on Friday morning
leaving him seriously injured.
Harishankar Range Officer Sribatsa
Kumura said, “getting information, we reached the spot in the morning and
facilitated shifting of injured person to the Khapraphol medical for
treatment.” Since last two days, the elephant was moving in Chabripali,
Bhanupali and adjoining villages eating paddy crop. “We believe the elephant
has come from the Padampur side of Bargarh district and we are keeping a watch
on its movement. The jumbo is now inside the forest near a village of
Gandhmardan forest,” said Kumura to this correspondent over phone. Balangir
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Nitish Kumar said, “We have initiated the
compensation-giving process; and by today evening, Rs 40,000 (10 ten percent of
the total amount) would be given to the deceased’s family; and we would
complete the payment of compensation within a fortnight.”
===========================================
Balangir
DFO wins Green Warrior Award
Tuesday, 26 October
2021 | PNS | BALANGIR
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Balangir, Nitish Kumar
was given the “Green Warrior”honour this year by the NatWest Group India at
Earth Heroes Awards on October 20 through virtual mode. Institutionalised in
2011, the NatWest Group Earth Heroes Award in its 11th year, is a national
initiative that recognises efforts of individuals and institutions across India
who are working tirelessly to subvert climate change by conserving and
preserving the rich biodiversity of the country for a better relationship
between the society and nature. As many as eight winners were felicitated via a
virtual ceremony that was graced by the chief guest Secretary-General,
Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES), UNIvonne Higuero. Nitish Kumar who joined the Odisha
Forest Service in 2014 as an Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) was
known for his valuable contributions towards afforestation, infrastructure
development, enforcement (protection), and converting technology into
conservation outcomes in the Kalahandi North Division. Besides his work
extensively on soil and moisture conservation to improve wildlife habitat of
the Kalahandi North Division was widely appreciated. From 2018 to 2020,
he was instrumental in formulating Fire Control Rapid Response team in the area
as forest fires are a major cause of wildlife habitat degradation in the
Kalahandi North Division. Nitish Kumar was also the first to introduce drone
technology in the Odisha Forest Departmen
===========================================
Farmer
killed in jumbo attack in Balangir
Tuesday, 30 November 2021 | PNS |
BALANGIR
A person was killed in an elephant attack at Bhalupali
village under the Loisingha Forest Range in Balangir district on Monday
morning.
The deceased was identified as Gopal Podh (40), who had
gone to his paddy field when he was attacked by a jumbo.
For the last three days, a herd of 35 elephants have
strayed into the area and are destroying crops at night.
The death of villager sparked tension in the village and
people manhandled the frontline forest staffs, though they tried their best to
drive away the herd.
“The death of the villager in the elephant attack is
unfortunate..We have already released 10 per cent of the compensation to
deceased’s family and the rest amount would be given after the necessary
official process said Balangir DFO Nitish Kumar.
“We have already started the process to install high-mast
lights in the affeceted area and I appeal people to cooperate with frontline
staffs in handling the situation,” Kumar said.
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