3 elephants fall into well in Chhattisgarh wildlife sanctuary, rescued
Balodabazar(PTI): Three elephants fell into a well at Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary in Chhattisgarh, prompting a major rescue operation that lasted nearly three hours before they were safely pulled out using a makeshift ramp on Tuesday, officials said.
The elephants -- an adult female, her calf, and a juvenile male -- had accidentally fallen into the well at the farmland of a resident in Hardi village in Balodabazar-Bhatapara district, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Arun Kumar Pandey told PTI.
The well lacked an outer boundary wall. Forest officials earlier said four elephants had fallen into the well.
Some locals spotted the elephants struggling inside the well early in the morning and immediately alerted the forest department. Senior forest officials, along with rescue teams, rushed to the site and an operation was launched to save the jumbos, Pandey said.
Earth-excavator machines were deployed, and a ramp was constructed, following safety protocols, by digging the sides of the well to allow the pachyderms to climb out safely, said Balodabazar Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Dhammhil Ganveer, who guided the rescue operation.
The three elephants were rescued after a two-and-a-half-hour-long operation, without any injury, and later released into a nearby forest area, where they rejoined their herd, he said.
"The forest department's responsibility is not limited to protecting wildlife, rather, safeguarding every life is our priority. This rescue operation in Hardi village is an excellent example of the department's swift response, collective dedication, and the efficiency of the field team," Ganveer said.
The Balodabazar forest division continues to strengthen its rapid rescue response system, enhance field team training, and build stronger coordination with local communities to effectively handle such emergencies in the future, he added.
Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Satovisha Samajdar visited the site and supervised the rescue operation.
The department has been working to cover open wells across all forest divisions with iron grills using CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) funds, to prevent such accidents in the future, Pandey said.
Raipur-based wildlife activist Nitin Singhvi, however, blamed the forest department for the incident and called it "gross negligence".
Singhvi said that he has been urging authorities since 2018 to cover or secure open and abandoned wells located in and around forest areas to prevent such accidents.
Taking cognizance of his concern, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had written to the Chhattisgarh government in 2021, directing action to close unsafe wells. Later, in 2022, following his representation, the central government issued an advisory to all states and Union Territories, instructing them to ensure that open wells were properly covered or fenced, he claimed.
Despite these repeated warnings, the state forest department has taken no substantial action to obtain budgetary support for securing these wells, he said.
As per his estimate, there are more than 25,000 open and dry wells within and around forest areas across the state.
"In 2024, using CAMPA funds, only 450 wells were secured, and that too only in Kanker district," he claimed, adding that the lack of consistent efforts has left wildlife at serious risk.
4 elephants including 2 calves fell in open well with water filled about 6 ft at Barnawapara area, some 100 km from #Chhattisgarh capital. The rescue operation has begun. @moefcc (Centre) in Feb 2022 asked all states (chief wildlife warden) to cover open wells to protect… pic.twitter.com/4990DDHEH2
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Karnataka government employees demand return of Old Pension Scheme
Bengaluru: Government employees in Karnataka have urged the state government to scrap the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and bring back the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), The New Indian Express reported.
The demand was made by the Karnataka State Government Employees’ Association, whose leaders met senior IAS officer Uma Mahadevan on Monday and submitted a memorandum. The association asked the NPS Review Committee, headed by senior IAS officer Anjum Parvez, to recommend the reintroduction of OPS in the state.
Association president C.S. Shadakshari reportedly said the review committee has already visited Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana where NPS was revoked and OPS re-implemented. The committee is yet to submit its report, but has told the government it will do so soon.
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Shadakshari allegedly said NPS has been in force in Karnataka since 2006. He pointed out that West Bengal never adopted the scheme, while Andhra Pradesh and Telangana replaced NPS with a contributory pension model.
States including Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Jharkhand have already scrapped NPS through cabinet decisions or budget announcements.
“Under NPS, 10% of the employees’ basic salary and DA, and 14% contribution from the state is credited to the employees’ fund. It constitutes 24% of the total which is non-withdrawable. This is invested in the share market and the final amount depends on the ups and downs of the market,” TNIE quoted Shadakshar as saying.
As per the report, he said that by limiting its contribution to 14%, the government could save up to ₹1.87 lakh crore annually if all vacancies are filled, strengthening the case for bringing back the old pension system.
