IB roped in to keep watch on rare bird poachers
Times of India By Himanshu Kaushik
Print Edition
Now, officers of the state Intelligence Bureau (IB) will be roped in to keep an eye on poachers along the Gujarat coast.
Rattled by the poaching of 64 flamingos, the state forest department has decided to step up vigil and surveillance along Gujarat's coast which is particularly vulnerable to poachers. Sources said that the crime cell of the forest department will use the intelligence network of the bureau for getting vital information about the illegal activities along the coast.
The IB staff will not only help forest officials gather information about flamingos but also give information on animals including lions.
At a meeting held in Gandhinagar on Friday, the forest department decided to form a special task force which will keep a strict vigil along the coast. They will also be responsible for setting up an intelligence network that shall specifically collect information about poachers' movements. The task force will comprise four-five officials from sachivalaya, forest department and some wildlife experts. Wherever the team travels, they will involve local officials for search and surveillance.
"These informers will alert the forest staff and also the task force of any illegal activity," said S K Nanda, principal secretary, forest and environment department.
Senior officials said the local NGOs working along the coast and especially the fishermen community will be roped in for getting information about any illegal activity.
Forest officials also said that the Van Sahayaks and Van Mitras too have been asked to keep an eye on kite flying especially in the night. He said that the agencies which are involved in the rescue operation will also be roped in so that their people all along the coast come in handy for the department.
File photo of the killed flamingos
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