Board unmoved by plight of elephants
LUDHIANA: Seeing the plight of elephants in the city, it seems that several campaigns launched to save pachyderms don’t seem to have produced the desired results.
Despite the fact that elephants are endangered species listed in the Wildlife Protection Act-1972, there is no check over the cruelty against them. It seems the administration as well as forest department have turned a deaf ear to improve the plight of elephants roaming about on roads and living in deplorable conditions.
Sources said several NGOs in the city had already given a representation to the state government that they wanted to adopt these animals by erecting shelters for them. Likewise, the People For Animals (PFA) has also submitted a memorandum to Dr RM Kharb, chairman of the Animal Board of India, to rescue elephants in the city and transfer them to a safer place or set up an elephant park in a tiger safari.
A census of elephants in the state was carried out under Project Tiger of the Union government in January 2010 which showed that there were a total of 18 elephants in the state, out of which, 12 were in the city itself.
The report also indicated that municipal taps were being used to fulfil water needs of these animals and no access to perennial source of flowing water for bathing was available to them.
The report also indicated that municipal taps were being used to fulfil water needs of these animals and no access to perennial source of flowing water for bathing was available to them.
Following the startling census report on the condition of elephants, the state government, on the directions of the Centre, had also constituted a committee for setting up guidelines for the maintenance of captive animals in the state. However, the condition of these animals has hardly improved.
Sources said elephants were made to walk on tarred roads even though their feet are sensitive to hard surfaces.
Ajay Jain, president of PFA, said, “Sometimes, these animals are made to walk 20-60 km a day. Their masters also use them for marriage purposes and make them wander in rural areas for alms, besides participating in religious functions and advertisement campaigns,” said.
He further said they had submitted a memorandum to the chairman of Animal Board of India to provide shelter to these animals so that they can be preserved in a better environment.