Bhubaneswar: Expressing displeasure over recent deaths of wildlife animals in different forest areas, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Chief Wildlife Warden Susanta Nanda has sought a performance report of special squads deployed in forests under different schemes.
In an order, PCCF Shri Nanda said that 397 squads are deployed in different forest divisions for protection and conservation of wildlife.
“In spite of such huge manpower at the level of DFOs, which has almost become an extension wing of the Department, we have had more than 40 elephant deaths during the current financial year. No action has been initiated nor the performance of the squads have been reviewed and reported to this office,” PCCF Shri Nanda said.
Stating that the services of the squads are inevitable, CWW Shri Nanda said that the leadership required for utilizing them and the SOP for their operation in the field while tracking elephants or undertaking protection activities has left little to be desired.
Signs of permanency have cripped in resulting neither in effective patrolling and protection of wildlife and their habitat, nor any action is taken against any of them, the PCCF pointed out.
To tide over the situation, he said that the squads from different programme/schemes allocated to Forest Divisions by the Wildlife Wing have been now allocated to RRCFs for effective placement at different Divisions and patrolling in the field.
While an attempt should be made not to disengage any performing squad members, sourced from outsourced agency only, as long as they fulfil the requirements in the field, he instructed.
Regional CCFs have been asked to mobilise the squads from adjoining Divisions depending on the situations in field and when required for effective utilization and to ensure protection of the wildlife.
The squad allocation to the circles may be distributed among the Forest Divisions and intimate the PCCF office immediately for placement of funds at the disposal of DFOs concerned, he directed in the order.