Massive Bamboo Clearance in Elephant Corridor Sparks Local Outrage and Safety Concerns

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Daspalla: (Reported by Ratnakar Hota): In Daspalla, the elephant corridor connecting the Mahanadi Wildlife Sanctuary and Ghumusar forest has become a concern for the safety of elephants. The dense bamboo forest, a critical part of the corridor, has been cleared by forest workers, sparking outrage among locals. 

A forest department observation tower was recently constructed to monitor elephant movements. However, during the construction, large amounts of bamboo were cut down in the name of clearing the area, according to forest official Sudarshan Dehury. He claimed no prior knowledge of such extensive bamboo cutting, raising questions about the necessity and transparency of the operation. 

Local forest guard Ramesh Kumar Malik stated that the purpose of the tower was to monitor elephants and provide information to the public about their movements. He mentioned that if elephants come seeking food from the now-cleared area, people might panic, even experiencing heart attacks from fright. Hence, the bamboo was cleared to prevent such incidents. However, Malik was unaware of who authorized the large-scale cutting and how much funding was allocated for the tower's construction. 

The clearance of bamboo has led to dissatisfaction among the locals, many of whom rely on bamboo for crafting materials to sustain their livelihoods. They questioned how the forest department allowed such deforestation when they were often denied access to bamboo. 

Further scrutiny has arisen regarding the construction of the observation tower. Malik mentioned that no information had been provided to him regarding its construction, leaving locals to wonder how the site was chosen and why no consultation took place before the tower was built. 

Meanwhile, the forest department's urgency for elephant monitoring has been called into question, especially in light of a previous incident in January near Durga Prasad village. In the Biluapada Ghat area, a tusker was poached, and locals are now asking how the department missed such a significant event. 

The mishandling of bamboo clearing and lack of transparency around the observation tower's construction have raised several concerns among both forest officials and the local community. 

As the situation unfolds, the safety of the elephants and the management of their habitat remain at the center of public attention.