Teams to drive out jumbos

TT, Alipurduar: Senior Bengal forest department officers said on Sunday that tea gardens in the Dooars had been asked to form " halla parties" or groups which would work to drive away wild elephants and other animals from the plantations.

The department, they said, would provide searchlights, crackers and other items to those groups.

On Saturday, a meeting was held at Rajabhatkhawa Nature Interpretation Centre where senior foresters and representatives of tea gardens were present.

In north Bengal, "intrusion" of wild elephants, leopards and even gaurs and deer into tea gardens, located along the elephant corridor or near wildlife habitats, are reported on a regular basis.

Management of the tea gardens has been asked to form such groups. They should also inform us if any wild animal is sighted in the garden," said Suvankar Sengupta, the field director of Buxa Tiger Reserve.

To pass on information to foresters so that death or injury on both sides - that of the wild animal which has entered a tea garden and those residing in the garden - can be averted, it has been decided to form Whatsapp groups which would have forest officers of the area concerned and representatives of tea gardens as members.

"We will disseminate the message in tea gardens that some people from the estate should be on the Whatsapp group run by the forest department in respective areas. Also, residents would be told to refrain from disturbing a wild animal in case it enters the garden," said R.A. Sharma, the secretary of the Dooars branch of Tea Association of India.