Jamshedpur: To prevent hunting on the occasion of Bisu Sendra festival, the forest department has put in place elaborate security measures in the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, officials said. Several tribal groups will venture into the sanctuary on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday to observe the hunting ritual on Sunday.“We have deployed over 500 personnel from both the forest department and East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts to prevent people from carrying prohibited articles into the forest,” said DFO of Dalma, Saba Alam Ansari.He said that 12 Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers, 20 range officials, 150 forest guards, 130 Van Raksha Samiti (VRS) volunteers and 10 police officers have been tasked to oversee the safety and security of the sanctuary.“Temporary check-points have been erected at a dozen places, besides regular patrolling on 20 separate stretches on the Dalma foothills,” DFO added.The Dalma Buru Sendra Samiti (DBSS), the main outfit which organizes the hunting festival, organized prayers at Fadulgora on the foothills on Saturday.According to the organizing committee members, a small group gathers for prayers before dispersing throughout the forest overnight, and hunting takes place at dawn.Forest officials said that festive groups can enter the forest area with traditional bow and arrows as they perform special prayers of arms prior to hunting as per the practice followed since time immemorial. However, prohibited articles, ropes, nets, traps, modern arms and explosives are not permitted.Dalma raja, Rakesh Hembram, who is also president of the organizing committee, said that over the years the awareness sessions organized by the forest department has helped tribals realize about the adverse impact of hunting wildlife.“We have appealed to the Sendra veers to observe the festival in a token way without causing harm to wild animals,” said Hembram.Despite the appeal, instances of monkey, deer, wild boar and birds being hunted have been reported in the past.
