AARYAN SHARMA
JAMMU: Under the ‘dynamic leadership’ of Forest Minister Lal Singh, the State Forest and Wildlife Protection Department has started capturing poisonous ‘cobras’ in plastic buckets in the absence of containers.
Ironically, the Department, stuffed with huge budgetary support, has failed to equip its field officers despite repeated reminders.
After taking over the charge, Lal Singh has invited wrath of people especially Gujjar community who complained of highhandedness and pressure tactics but he has apparently failed to address the genuine issues confronting the Department.
Handpicked officers are busy implementing the agenda of the fire brand leader but they too have failed to justify absence of basic equipment needed to carry out operations involving man-animal conflict.
On Wednesday, when local residents from Sector 2 of Channi Himmat Housing Colony lodged a complaint with the Control Room of the State Wild Life Department about the presence of ‘three feet long ‘cobra in a motor room of J&K Housing Board, a three member team was rushed to the scene of action ‘but empty handed’.
According to eye witness reports, ” On Wednesday morning when one of the care takers went to switch on the motor, he noticed presence of a large snake inside the motor room at around 10.45 A.M”.
Soon after, local residents in the area lodged a complaint with the Control Room of the State Wildlife Department informing them about the presence of cobra in the area.
The complaint was lodged around 11.00 A.M and a three-member team arrived in their van to capture the reptile at around 12.00 P.M.
For one hour the local residents kept a tight vigil on the movement of cobra to prevent any mishap in the vicinity.
The rescue team was only carrying long sticks used to hold the snake but were not carrying any container to pack the ‘cobra’.
In the absence of container the three member team was seen requesting local residents in the area to lend them a bucket with a lid to ferry the poisonous ‘cobra’.
When a plastic bucket with a lid was arranged by locals and the same was handed over to the team members to catch the ‘cobra’ they could not pack the snake.
During the long operation ‘cobra’ managed to gave a slip to the captors and gave tough time to them before being recaptured after a hard struggle.
The local residents were seen complaining to the team members about the lack of equipment but they defended their Department by claiming they had captured another reptile from Sidhra area on the outskirts of Jammu and had no other container in their office to ferry the ‘cobra’.
