In a tragic incident in Gopeshwar, a town in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, a female bear and her cub lost their lives after coming into contact with a transformer at the Namami Gange sewage treatment plant. Following the incident, a team from the Kedarnath Forest Division conducted post-mortem examinations on the animals before cremating them.According to sources from the Forest Department, the sewage treatment plant under the Namami Gange project is located in the Vaitarani area of the town. On Wednesday, employees of the project informed forest officials about the electrocution of two bears near a transformer. Responding promptly, Tarun S., the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Kedarnath Wildlife Division, along with Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Jugal Kishore Chauhan and their team, visited the site.Speaking to TNIE, DFO Tarun S. highlighted ongoing concerns regarding wildlife safety. He stated, “Wooden poles were installed around the transformer, and the transformer was placed on the ground, which was not a foolproof mechanism implemented by the project.” He further remarked, “We have brought this matter to the attention of higher authorities and will also inform them about the negligence of the STP operators. The Kedarnath area, which is rich in wildlife, requires special measures for wildlife protection, and we will insist on the implementation of foolproof mechanisms there.”Additionally, DFO Tarun S. underscored the importance of proactive measures, saying, “We have also suggested that government organisations conduct wildlife safety audits to prevent such incidents in the future. Other organisations should also come forward to ensure efforts towards wildlife safety.”
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