Guwahati: The Patanjali Mega Food and Herbal Park of Baba Ramdev is in the thick of a major controversy in Assam allegedly for digging the traditional elephant co-rridor leading to death of an adult elephant on Thursday.
Assam forest minister Parmillarani Brahma, who broke into tears when the body of the dead elephant was pulled out on Thursday, said she has directed the officials to lodge an FIR against all those responsible for digging the elephant corridor without taking the permission of the forest department.
Assam forest minister Parmillarani Brahma who visited Ghoramari near Tezpur after the death of a female elephant, however, accused the state industry department for allotting land on traditional elephant corridor for setting up the industry.
An elephant calf, its mother and another male from the herd of nearly 100 wild elephants were injured on Wednesday after they strayed from the herd and fell into a trench at the construction site of the Patanjali Mega Herbal and Food Park.
The male elephant managed to get out with relative ease and the calf was rescued, but its mother remained stuck in the pit. The mother, with critical injuries, died on Thursday. She was looked after by a team of veterinarians but could not survive the injuries. The calf has been sent to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation at the Kaziranga National Park.
The forest minister, who broke into tears when the body of the dead elephant was pulled out of trench on Thursday, said that she has directed the officials to lodge an FIR against all those responsible for digging the elephant corridor without taking the permission of the forest department.
Wild elephants frequent the area where Patanjali Mega Food and Herbal Park is being constructed by Baba Ramdev. It is located close to Nameri National Park and Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary.
The calf, which was rescued by forest department officials with help of local people and police on Wednesday is said to have been recovering from its injuries at Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in Kaziranga. The incident has also invited angry reaction from conservationists who expressed deep concern over the incident. The representative of Baba Ramdev could not be contacted for their reaction.
