Karnataka to recruit 15 wildlife veterinarians soon, says Forest Minister after mass blackbuck death
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has given in-principle approval to create a separate cadre for wildlife veterinarians and recruit 15 doctors soon, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said on Tuesday.
He held a video conference with heads of all nine zoos after 31 blackbucks died under unusual circumstances at the Kittur Rani Chennamma Mini Zoo in Belagavi. He directed zoo officials to take immediate preventive measures with the help of available veterinary staff until new wildlife doctors are appointed.
Veterinarians have confirmed that an infection caused by bacteria led to the blackbuck deaths. Khandre instructed officials to study whether the infection spread through air, water, food or handlers, and to ensure that it does not reach other animals.
The minister also asked the Zoo Authority to prepare a Standard Operating Procedure for handling such disease outbreaks, along with guidelines for managing wild animals in zoos and rescue centres. He said the SOP must be followed strictly.
Khandre directed that whenever animals die in zoos or wildlife centres, officials must not delay post-mortem examinations and must send reports to the government immediately. He said the deaths of 31 blackbucks serve as a warning, and added that the remaining seven blackbucks are also infected and require urgent treatment. All zoos in the state have been asked to take precautionary measures.
Referring to the recent death of a gaur that was being transported from Bannerghatta to a neighbouring state, he said complaints indicated negligence by officials. A team will be formed to investigate the incident, and staff will be given training in handling wild animals.
Zoo Authority of Karnataka chairman Hadya Rangaswamy, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) P.C. Rai and senior officials took part in the meeting.
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Odisha: Normalcy returns to violence-hit Malkangiri; internet services fully restored
Malkangiri (PTI): Normalcy returned to Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Monday, nearly a week after around 200 villages were damaged in violent clashes in a village, with the district administration fully restoring internet services, a senior official said.
Additional District Magistrate Bedabar Pradhan said internet services, suspended across the district on December 8 to curb the spread of rumours and misinformation following the clashes, were restored after the situation improved.
The suspension had been extended in phases till 12 noon on Monday.
The administration also withdrew prohibitory orders imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita within a 10-km radius of MV-26 village, where arson incidents were reported on December 7 and December 8.
Though the violence was confined to two villages, tension had gripped the entire district, as the incident took the form of a clash between local tribals and Bengali settlers following the recovery of a headless body of a woman on December 4, officials said.
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The violence broke out after residents of Rakhelguda village allegedly set ablaze several houses belonging to Bengali residents, forcing hundreds to flee. The headless body of Lake Podiami (51), a woman from the Koya tribe, was recovered from the banks of the Poteru river on December 4, while her head was found six days later at a location about 15 km away.
Officials said the district administration held several rounds of discussions with representatives of the tribal and Bengali communities, following which both sides agreed to maintain peace.
Relief and rehabilitation work has since been launched at MV-26 village, with preliminary assessment pegging property damage at around Rs 3.8 crore.
A two-member ministerial team headed by Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo visited the affected village, interacted with officials and locals, and submitted a report to the chief minister.
So far, 18 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, the officials said, adding that despite the withdrawal of prohibitory orders and restoration of internet services, security forces, including BSF and CRPF personnel, continue to be deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
On Sunday, Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi visited MV-26 and neighbouring Rakhelguda villages, and held discussions with members of both communities as part of efforts to rebuild confidence and restore peace.
More than two lakh Bengali-speaking Bangladeshis were rehabilitated by the Centre in Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts in 1968, and they currently reside in 124 villages of Malkangiri.
