BLOODLETTING CONTINUES AT SULIA YATRA Wednesday, 04 January 2017 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR |

STATE EDITIONS

BLOODLETTING CONTINUES AT SULIA YATRA

Wednesday, 04 January 2017 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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Hundreds of animals were killed at the altar of Sulia deity at Khairguda, which is known as Badkhala in Deogaon block, on Tuesday irrespective concerns of animal lovers and environmentalists across the State.

Hundreds of hens, goats and sheep were slaughtered as a mark of a long going tribal tradition to appease the goddess at the Sulia Buda site. Reports of killing of buffalos were also received from Saan Khala, another place of the Sulia Yatra.

Every year Sulia Yatra is held on the first Tuesday of the Odia Pausha month at Khairguda in Kultapada gram panchayat in the district, 20 km from here. The tribal devotees have been worshipping Sulia Budha at the village by the side of Sulia Dangar hill for over 100 years. The Yatra has been also observed in the locality for over 100 years.

According to a legend, Sulia Budha deity came from Vindhybasini area. A Nishi puja used to be held first at the mountain top. But later, it was held near the foothill.

Despite prohibition of animal killing by the administration for some years and protests from various quarters to stop the inhuman act, the tribals are unconvinced. Rather they allege it as interference on their freedom to religious practice.

Tribals are nature lovers and worshippers. The tribal villagers collect voluntary donation and with that money they arrange an animal for killing. Tribals also offer milk to tigers with a payer that the animal being the king of forest guard the forest and mountain, said Maya Pradhani.

The tribals are of the opinion that those who do not understand the tribal culture are opposing animal killing which is an integral part of the festivities.

“I have come from Bargarh district .As my wish was fulfilled I offered a goat to the Sulia deity. We had asked the mother goddess to help us so that my sister is married off and she fulfilled it,” said Jayadev Matari of Saharapali.

Another devotee, Satyapriya Sethi of Dumerpali village said, “I have been coming to Sulia for the last four years. As my brothers’ skin ailment was cured, we offered a hen to the deity this year.”

Th Yatra was also held at Kumria, Bihibandh and Mirdhapali.

Meanwhile, Balangir Sub Collector BimalPrasad Mohanty said that all arrangements were made for a hassle free yatra. Four platoons of police, senor police officers, besides Executive Magistrates, have been deployed to maintain law and order, informed SDPO Narayan Naik. 

ELEPHANTS WREAK HAVOC IN BALANGIR Tuesday, 03 January 2017 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

ELEPHANTS WREAK HAVOC IN BALANGIR

Tuesday, 03 January 2017 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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Following the unexpected death of a Royal Bengal Tiger, now comes a report of movement and damages wrought by a herd of 27 elephants causing anxiety among people of Patnagarh and Loisingha block in Balangir district. A few months ago, there was movement of a herd of elephants in Loisingha block causing damages to crops.

Moreover, two elephants died due to anthrax in Loisingha. After the incident, the elephants moved away to the Gaisillet area of Bargarh district.

Interestingly, these elephants were sleeping at village Damkipali in the Patnagarh Forest Range area of Balangir district and causing damages in Gaisillet.

However, the herd again moved to Gaisillet and killed a person there only to return to the old place in Balangir district.

Since last three days, they have been moving near Damkipali village and damaging paddy stored in barns, banana plantations and some other crops. On Sunday night, they moved to Sankripani village in Gaisillet block and is expected to cross over into Loisingha area again, said Patnagarh Range Officer Banmali Sahu.

In another development, at least three more elephants are moving in Upparjhar and Tandamunda villages in the Balangir Forest Range and damaging paddy kept in the barns and in other areas. The elephants even damaged the boundary of a school football field at Upparjhar.  

SULIA JATRA IN BALANGIR ON JAN 3 Sunday, 01 January 2017 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

SULIA JATRA IN BALANGIR ON JAN 3

Sunday, 01 January 2017 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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This year, annual Sulia Jatra would be held on January 3, the first Tuesday of the Odia Pausha month, at Khairguda in Kultapda gram panchyat under Balangiri district’s Deogan block, 20 km from here.

Notably, tribals have been worshipping Sulia Budha at the village by the side of Sulia Dangar hill for more than a hundred years ago, said Zilla Adivasi Kalyan Sangha secretary Niranjan Bisi.

According to a legend, the Sulia Puja was being observed on the top of the mountain in earlier times. Once, the priest had forgotten to bring one of the puja pots. When the priest went to bring the pot, all the deities were sitting at a meeting then.

The deities wanted to know why he visited again. When the priest explained about his visit, the deity threw away the pot and told him to worship there where it falls. Since then, the festival is being worshiped at the village. Prior to the day of Sulia Jatra, the worshiping of deity is held at the mountain top in the night around 2/3am by tribals in naked body. The Puja is known as Nishi Puja and conducted by the priest and two other tribals, said Bisi.  Every year, hundreds of birds and animals like hens, pigeons, goats, sheep and buffalos are sacrificed on the occasion of the Sulia Jatra. Non-tribals too offer animals after their “wishes” are fulfilled by the blessings of Sulia Budha, the presiding deity.  Besides Khairguda, (popularly known as Badkhala), the puja is also conducted at other five others places, Kumria, Chantipali of Gudvella block, Mirdhapali in loisingha block, Kharlikani and Barpudgia in Balangir block. However, like every year, rationalists have been demanding stopping of animal killings at the Sulia Puja. Unfortunately, this demand has still remained unheard of. 

“We are observing festivals as per our traditional rituals. Animal killings have been going on inside the forest once a year for more than a hundred years ago. Others should not interfere in the tribal rights and customs,” said Bisi

A preparatory meeting for the festival would be held very soon, informed Bisi.

DEAD RBT MIGHT HAVE SUFFERED HEART FAILURE’ Sunday, 01 January 2017 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

DEAD RBT MIGHT HAVE SUFFERED HEART FAILURE’

Sunday, 01 January 2017 | SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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The carcass of a Royal Bengal Tiger (RBT) found in the Jhalialiti beat under the Chandali Reserve Forest under the Lathore range on December 28, has brought the plight of wild animals like RBTs  to the fore in the western parts of Odisha, much to the dismay and disbelief of wild animal lovers here and in the State.

The body of the RBT was found at a place just near the Nuapada district border and 105 km from the district headquarters here.

 “We got information about the carcass of RBT around 4.30 pm on December 28. Immediately I directed the field staff to rush to the spot and check the report and after that the dead body was brought to Lathore Forest Range of Bolangir Forest Division,” said Balangir DFO and Wild Life Warden Rashmi Ranjan Nayak.

The length of the tiger was 9 feet 3 inch (from nose tip to beginning of tail and the tail was 3 feet 1 inch and its pug size was 13.5 cm and 14 cm. Its age was 12 years, he added.

A team of seven veterinary doctors comprising Dr Subash Samanta, Dr K Marandi, Dr SK Naik, Dr Sujit Kumar Satpathy, Dr Ashok Kumar Dash, ADVO GK Sahu and CDVO SK Dash conducted post mortem in the presence of Honorary Wildlife Warden of Balangir Dr Dolagobind Bishi and Sudhir Kumar Mishra and local representative of National Tiger conservation Authority (NTCA) as per the guidelines of NTCA.

After the postmortem was conducted, the tiger’s body was consigned to flames as per the standard operating procedures of NTCA. The death of the RBT raised suspicions and many theories here.

However, according to sources, preliminary postmortem investigation indicates that the death of tiger is due to “suspected congestive heart failure”. We have collected samples of various body parts of the RBT and it would be sent to further examination to Bhubaneswar, said Dr GK Sahu. The exact cause of death would be known only after its final report, he adds further.

“There were some reports about the movement of RBT in the district. In the last Tiger Census we had submitted the pug mark of RBT to the State authorities. However, the State authorities rejected that sample of pug mark,” said DFO Nayak.

The appearance of RBT just on the border of Nuapada district indicates that most likely it have come from Sunabeda Sanctuary of Nuapada district.

Interestingly, the tiger’s body was intact with no sign of either abrasion or cut mark on the body and in other parts and any sign of poisoning. It was well grown tiger. As the tiger was old and weak it is likely to have suffered a congestive heart failure and died there.

According to sources, a tiger may travel more than 100 km in day and operates in a territory of 250sq area kilometer. If it gets food and shelter, normally he does not come out. This tiger which was 12 years might not be able to kill animals for preying and strayed to human habitation in search of easy food and suffered an attack.

With this death of the tiger, the total number of RBTs in the State has gone down to 39 from 40.  The State Government should strengthen the mechanism to monitor the movement of tigers in the State, failing which such type of tiger deaths cannot be ruled out in future, said the animal lovers.

REASON OF TIGER DEATH NOT YET CONFIRMED Friday, 30 December 2016 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

REASON OF TIGER DEATH NOT YET CONFIRMED

Friday, 30 December 2016 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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Forest officials are yet to ascertain the exact reason behind the death of a male Royal Bengal Tiger in the dense forest on Balangir-Nuapada border on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, after the postmortem, forest officials have burnt the tiger’s carcass suspecting it might have died due to anthrax. Balangir DFO Rashmi Ranjan Nayak said probe is on to find out the cause of the big cat’s death. The tiger’s carcass had been found under the Jhalialiti Forest Beat House of the Lathor Forest Range. Locals had found the carcass with blood oozing out of its mouth.

ROYAL BENGAL TIGER CARCASS FOUND IN BALANGIR DISTRICT Thursday, 29 December 2016 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

ROYAL BENGAL TIGER CARCASS FOUND IN BALANGIR DISTRICT

Thursday, 29 December 2016 | PNS | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

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At a time when animal lovers are unhappy over fast extinction of big cats, spotting of the carcass of a Royal Bengal Tiger in a jungle in Balangir district has made them to think over the Government’s sincerity in protecting wild animals.

According to information, some locals found the carcass near Chaulamunda village on the Balangir-Nuapada border on Wednesday afternoon and informed forest officials. Then, a team of forest officials recovered the body and sent the same for postmortem.

While the officials were yet to ascertain the reason behind death of the tiger and from where it could have come, some locals stated they had seen the tiger many times.

“The carcass indicates that some tigers are still living in nearby jungles. But it is disappointing that the forest officials have no knowledge about them,” said some villagers.

STOP REDUCTION OF PADDY IN NAME OF FAQ’ Thursday, 29 December 2016 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

STOP REDUCTION OF PADDY IN NAME OF FAQ’

Thursday, 29 December 2016 | PNS | BALANGIR | in Bhubaneswar

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Members of the Balangir Zilla Krushak Surakshya Sangathan led by its president Arun Mishra in a memorandum to the district administration has demanded an end to deduction of paddy of farmers in the name of Katni.

It has been a quite common affair in the mandis (paddy procurement centres) operated by Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society to deduct at least five kg of paddy per quintal of the farmers in the name of Fair Average Quality (FAQ). In some mandis, the deduction per quintal is as high as 10 kg to 15kg.

As a result farmers are facing loss and resorting to distress sale of paddy.

In view of good paddy production this year in the district, the limit of selling of 12 quintal paddy per acre should be raised to 14 quintal, demanded the Sangathan in the memorandum.

The district administration should take action against those persons purchasing paddy from farmers below the declared minimum support price (MSP), demanded the Sangathan further.

Moreover, the paddy procurement policy should be decided at district level keeping in view of the crop cutting report of the district.

The district administration should take necessary steps to ensure work and livelihood for the poor labourers who couldn’t get work due to effect of demonitisition in the forthcoming Rabi season. The Centre should approve the demand of Odisha Government to declare the enhanced MSP for paddy, demanded the memorandum.

Moreover, in the recent demonitisition process as agricultural labourers, farmers and other unorganised sector labourers were mostly affected, special compensatory measures be taken for them and the weekly withdrawal limit from the banks should be raised to Rs 50,000, demanded the Sangathan.