Haridwar, April 8
Not only humans, but animals too are being affected by the soaring mercury. This is especially true of the elephant. Instances of elephants sighted in villages and suburban areas of Haridwar and the outskirts of Rajaji has increased with jumbos moving from the forests to river- side areas, which now have human settlements and colonies.

At the Chandighat bridge, a herd of six tuskers were recently seen moving towards the riverbed, crossing human settlements. At the sight of half a dozen elephants on road, a startled crowd went berserk and tried a closer view.

The crowd ignorant of the fact that the herd was only on its way to the river for water jammed the entire area. Seeing hundreds of people, the elephants panicked and retreated.

They remained at the roadside for about 30 minutes in the hope that the crowd would disperse.

The herd again tried to proceed towards the river but this time too their way was obstructed by curious onlookers. Disturbed by the din around them, the jumbos moved back once more and finally returned to the forest area unable to quench their thirst.

In other areas surrounding the Rajaji National Park too cases of elephants moving towards the riverside are reportedly increasing and forest department officials have alerted the local populace not to disturb their movement.

Elaborating, Dr Rambeer Singh, a forest scientist with the science and technology department, says this is a natural process.

As summers approach, water resources recede in the park area. So jumbos move towards the riverside. He cautions the people not to come in the way of the elephants’ route. Forest warden IA Siddiqui warns that blocking the path of jumbos may prove costly as once irritated and run amok.

While in some cases the elephants may be perturbed by humans, in other it may be the other way round. Several villages have been affected by elephants going on the rampage, destroying crops and sugarcane fields.

In Jagjeetpur, Missharpur, Jamalpur and Katarpur villages, several hectares of wheat and sugarcane crops have been ravaged by the jumbos in the past few days.

This occurs mostly after sunset. Villagers claim that they always inform forest officials about the incidents yet no action is taken by them instantly. This aggravates the situation.

Sugarcane is a favourite food of the elephant. Herds are often seen crossing the heavy-traffic highway of Delhi-Roorkee-Haridwar-Dehradun to reach the cane fields on the other side despite the risk to their life.

Villagers in Jagjitpur and Missirpur say they live in fear as apart from the damage to their crops, the safety of their family members leaves them in constant anxiety. Forest officials say special monitoring is being undertaken at sensitive areas and villagers are advised to inform the forest and park authorities instantly of any elephant movement.

People in villages in terai adjacent to the Corbett National Park are also facing the ire of wild elephants who regularly destroy their crops.

Giving an insight into the elephant movement, Dr Ritesh Joshi, an expert at Rajaji, says that apart from quenching thirst, elephants need a lot of water to bathe and keep their bodies cool in the summer heat. Mother elephants are very protective of their calves and want unhindered space for them. These elephants seen in Chandighat area are believed to be destroying crops in adjoining villages. “After quenching their thirst, they move towards Jagjitpur, Missirpur villages late in the evening from where incidents of crop destruction have been coming,” observes a forest official at Shyampur range.

And as this route is convenient for the elephants, most cases of elephants destructing crops after sunset are being received from this area.

This movement of elephants can prove to be dangerous. In the past few months elephants have killed more than five persons in Jagjitpur, Bilb Parvat and Mansa Devi hills besides leaving several injured.

The situation has made the work of the forest department more strenuous as with the breeding season on, it is already monitoring the elephant’s movement in the park area so as to control infighting among tuskers.

On March 26, there was a major fight which resulted in the death of a 30-year-old male tusker in Motichur range. Experts point out to the fact that increasing human settlements and encroachment of forest areas are a major reason for elephants being sighted more and more on the forest outskirts and as they get no food in their habitat, they often venture into farmlands, hence coming into confrontation woth villagers.

Dehradun, April 8
With little response from the government, the ambitious judo academy project in Uttarakhand now seems to be looking to private players to take off. An overseas Japanese company some time back had expressed willingness for setting up two world-classes judo academies in India.

The company had put forth a proposal before the Judo Federation of India.

Out of the two proposed academies, one has come up in Manipur under the guidance of a Japanese coach. The second one that was to start in Uttarakhand is stuck in files.

Judo fans in the state have been demanding that the state government grabs this opportunity that has come on Japanese initiative and ensure the state gets its first judo academ. But so far the state government has remained indifferent.

Now, those espousing the cause of judo have decided to seek the assistance of private entrepreneurs for setting up the academy.

A proposal for the same was made by the Judo Federation of India eight months back to the Uttarakhand government. The lackadaisical approach of the authorities can be gauged from the fact that till date it has not responded in the matter.

Any state where the academy is to be set up is required to make a one-time expenditure on the project. Uttarakhand needs to provide a 18x18 m hall for the academy. The rest of the expenditure on equipment and the coach is to be borne by the federation.

About the proposal, Satish Sharma, a judo coach with the Sports Authority of India, said: “For the state of Uttarakhand, the proposal is a blessing in disguise.

The state is already doing well in sports at the national level. Having an academy with a Japanese coach will be an added advantage,” said Satish Sharma. Sharma said he would be meeting Uttarakhand sports secretary Rakesh Sharma shortly to discuss the matter with him. “It is a win-win situation for us. In case the government does not take up the project, interested private concerns will be free to take up the project. We certainly do not want to lose the project as already there has been much delay,” he added.

The project has been immensely successful in Manipur. The Manipur government wasted no time in opening the academy. The state initiated the project in just two-and-a-half months.

In case of Uttarakhand, it still looks a far cry. 

Roorkee: The police arrested a youth here on Tuesday for killing his maternal uncle by pushing him into a canal in Bardhman district (West Bengal) .

RK Chamoli, SHO, Gang Nehar Police Station said, “The deceased Karan Singh (45) accompanied his nephew Raju (23), a resident of Bajuheri village, to Bardhman district last month to see a girl for solemnising his (Raju’s) marriage. “The duo had some tiff there, following which he pushed his uncle into a canal.” A police p arty has been sent to Bardhman to recover the body of the deceased.