Several measures have been put in place by the forest department and the administration to ensure Madhyamik examinees in forest areas reach their exam centres safely across north Bengal.

These include engaging Airavat — the special vehicle of the forest department — deploying quick response teams (QRTs), searchlights and extra buses of the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC).

Madhyamik exams start from Monday.

The heightened precautions follow the death of Arjun Das, a Madhyamik examinee who was killed in an elephant attack in 2023 while travelling on his father's motorcycle through a forest path in Maharajghat of Baikunthapur forest division in Jalpaiguri.

Jaldapara wildlife division on Sunday conducted awareness campaigns using public address systems in Totopara, Ballalguri and Madarihat, urging students to avoid forest areas while travelling to their examination centres. Examinees were advised not to use forest fringe routes late in the evening unless absolutely necessary to reduce the risk of wild animal encounters.

“Thirty mobile patrolling teams and vehicles have been deployed across 39 sensitive stretches covering nearly 296km to manage human-wildlife conflict and assist examinees during the exam days,” a forest official said.

Vikas V., divisional forest officer (DFO) of Baikunthapur in Jalpaiguri district , said forest personnel have been instructed to begin duty from 6am during the secondary examinations. “Dense fog persists on forest roads from early morning till around 9am. Fog lights and high-resolution searchlights will be used to detect the movement of wild animals,” he said.

“In addition to searchlights, the department’s special vehicle Airavat will be used to transport examinees. All forest villages and forest-adjacent areas with examinees have been identified as sensitive,” the DFO added.

According to forest department sources, over 150 drop gates have been installed at entry points of wildlife-inhabited forests near villages in Gorumara wildlife division, Baikunthapur, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar forest divisions, Buxa Tiger Reserve, Jaldapara, Mahananda and Senchal reserved forests to restrict wildlife movement during exam hours.

Leaves of field staff have been cancelled and monitoring has been intensified in forest areas of the Dooars, including the Madarihat and Dalgaon ranges.

Asitabh Chatterjee, DFO of Cooch Behar, said QRTs comprising six forest personnel have been formed in each range. “Surveillance has been intensified. We are coordinating closely with the police and education department,” he said.

Forest personnel will be equipped with firearms, binoculars, fog lights and searchlights to monitor animal movement before escorting examinees. Multiple department vehicles will be deployed in each range.

Jalpaiguri district magistrate Shama Parveen said the administration has arranged separate vehicles for students. “We won't take chances. Forest personnel have been instructed not to use shortcut routes, as elephant movement is common in the early morning hours,” she said.

In the Terai areas of Siliguri subdivision under the Kurseong forest division, similar arrangements have been made to assist examinees in reaching their centres safely.

The NBSTC has arranged 47 special bus services for secondary and High Madrasa examinees. “These services will operate on various routes connecting exam centres across north Bengal to ensure the safe transport of students,” NBSTC chairman Partha Pratim Roy said.