Saranda forests

Jamshedpur, Oct. 5: Less than a week after five-day-long Operation Black Thunder was called off, forest department staff are finding it difficult to venture into Saranda which they fear may still be strewn with landmines planted by fleeing Maoists.

Foresters, guards, and beat officers reported for duty but most refused to go inside the forest bordering the core area of Saranda.

Divisional forest officer (Saranda) S.R. Natesh admitted that various projects of the department had been affected due to the operation that continued from September 25 to 29.

But, since more than 18 landmines were triggered by rebels with security forces defusing/detonating at least 20 bombs, workers — mostly foresters, guards and beat officers — were reluctant to go into the forests bordering the core area of Saranda.

What was worrying, he added, was that most of the landmines had been planted by rebels along the forest pathway, which the forest department is supposed to mend.

And officials fear that there may be many more mines across Saranda that’s spread over 850 sq km.

On development work undertaken by the Saranda divisional office, Natesh claimed their men were attending to their jobs at places considered safe zones.

But, most were reluctant to go into areas like Thalkobad, Tirulposi and Jeraikela — all known Maoist pockets.

A senior forest officer told The Telegraph that the last time the department executed development work deep inside Saranda forests was in 2005 when it received funds from the tribal development department in New Delhi.

“We had to develop villages in forests and set up self-help groups in Saranda. The work was somehow executed the following year. But now, fresh development work under MGNREGA is in the pipeline,” he said.

Natesh said presently, the department was awaiting approvals for soil and water conservation projects and road repairing plans, all of which were to be executed inside the core area of the forest.

“But how can we start when forest officials aren’t keen on venturing into the jungles?” he added.

Apart from developmental projects, forest officials need to make regular trips inside Saranda to gather information about poaching of wild animals, especially elephants.

Forest officials on duty have often become victims of Maoists who abduct them and keep them hostage for days on end, suspecting them to be police informers.

“Forest officials hardly report such incidents to the police fearing a Maoist backlash,” said Natesh, adding, “it will ake sometime for them to overcome their fears.”