August 12th 2024.
The district of Keonjhar has been facing a pressing issue of man-elephant conflict. This has been exacerbated by the illegal parking of hundreds of trucks along a stretch of the Mumbai-Kolkata NH49, from Suakati to Putulpani Square. This particular area falls under the Bhuyan Juanga Pirha forest range, which is a known elephant corridor. This has not only caused inconvenience to commuters, but it has also become a major cause of concern for the animals.
According to sources, the queues of parked trucks can stretch up to 5 kilometers, as drivers wait for their turn to load iron ore from the nearby Gandhamardan mines. The absence of a designated parking facility has forced the drivers to park their trucks on the national highway itself. As a result, traffic jams have become a common occurrence, causing distress to travelers. Unfortunately, this has also led to accidents on the highway, causing loss of life and property. The situation becomes even more perilous due to the presence of elephants, who often cross the highway and face difficulties in doing so.
The Bhuyan Juanga Pirha forest range, which extends to the Sundargarh and Angul forest divisions, is a favored habitat of elephants. Their movements can be seen at various points on NH-49 throughout the year. To prevent any mishaps, the Forest Department has installed information plaques at strategic points, warning commuters and motorists not to park their vehicles or drive at high speeds in the area.
However, environmentalists and wildlife enthusiasts have expressed their dismay at the illegal parking of trucks in the elephant corridor. They have criticized the Forest Department for not taking any legal action against the vehicles that are blocking the corridor. The consequences of this illegal activity are far-reaching, as the elephants are often unable to cross the highway and end up straying into nearby localities, causing havoc. On the other hand, the truck drivers also face numerous difficulties, as they are forced to park their vehicles on the highway without proper facilities for food, water, and rest. One truck driver, Prafulla Sahu, expressed his frustration, saying that their problems are being ignored.
Social activist Pradeep Mohanty pointed out that despite earning huge profits, neither the mining companies nor the truck owners' associations have taken any steps to construct a parking yard in the area. The only parking arrangement available in the nearby Tentuli village is also identified as an elephant corridor. Ayeshkanta Pattnayak, a trucker, suggested that if the main gate of the area is shifted one kilometer from Putulpani Square, the issue of parking on the NH could be avoided. However, despite several complaints, no action has been taken.
The local community has also raised concerns over the lack of action from the police and transport department to clear traffic snarls on the highway. Frequent accidents have occurred on this route, claiming many lives in the past few years. Forest range officer, Nayankanta Sahu, emphasized that it is illegal to block an elephant corridor. He stated that the department has been reminding the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) patrolling team to clear the highway of illegal parking, but no action has been taken yet. This issue has also been brought up in inter-departmental coordination meetings, but to no avail. The Divisional Forest Officer of Keonjhar, Dhanraj HD, assured that steps have been taken to ensure the safe movement of elephants in the corridors, and the Forest Department is taking action against violators.
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