State government asks Army to shift from the Teesta Firing Range; Army says it it yet to receive a formal communication
A still shot grab from a locally circulated video claimed to be one of the dead elephants. Down To Earth has not verified the authenticity of the claim. Photo credit: Jayanta Basu through local sources This article has been updated
The West Bengal government has asked the Indian Army to shift from the Teesta Field Firing Range located on the banks of the Teesta, close to the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary in the northern part of the state, forest minister Jyotopriyo Mullick told this reporter March 25, 2023.
Mullick said the decision has been taken after post-mortem revealed that four elephants had died due to mortar shelling in the Baikunthapur forest division of Jalpaiguri district, close to the range.
“Post-mortem has confirmed that all the elephants were killed due to splinter injuries. During our joint meeting, Army officials have also accepted that the elephants have been killed from shelling,” the minister said.
Mullick further said the state forest department has asked the Army to stop the shelling for the time being; and if possible, shift the firing range altogether:
Definitely, Army firing practice is important. But wildlife is also important. I have intimated through my senior officials that the Army cannot undertake such exercises in a restricted forest area. There will be no further shelling till the forest department gives clearance. It is better if the Army permanently shifts the training base from there.
The state forest department also confirmed to this reporter that a local was also killed in the firing.
A senior Army official told this reporter on the condition of anonymity that the Army is yet to receive a formal communication about shifting from the base. He added that the Army has not found any elephant carcasses in its practice range.
The officer also claimed that the firing zone stands beyond the designated forest area. He, however, indicated that no firing practice is scheduled soon and admitted that “monitoring can be improved”.
The Teesta Field Firing Range, located about 15 km northeast of the city of Siliguri, is the largest Army firing range in north and northeast India. It is spread on an area of 12 to 15 kilometres on the banks of the Teesta, a major right bank tributary of the Brahmaputra.
According to local people, as well as administration, a herd of around 13 elephants frequented the are in the vicinity of the range.
Mortar shelling took place at the range on March 13, after the Army passed information to the local administration as a regular protocol.
But splinters from shelling reportedly hit the herd. Anujit Basu, a wildlife activist with non-profit Nature and Wildlife Association, told this reporter:
While local people found one dead elephant early on the morning of March 14 in Saraswatipur under the Baikunthapur forest division, two more of the animals were found dead the next day. One was found in Targhera, again under Baikunthapur division while the second one was found in a seven-mile area within the Saruga forest range of the Mahananda wildlife sanctuary.
Subsequently, another dead elephant was found on March 22 at a location close to where the first dead elephant had been found, Basu added.
State forest department sources told this reporter that post-mortem of the four dead elephants has confirmed that all had died either on March 14 or 15 due to splinter injuries. Three wounded individuals are said to be still roving in the zone.
Local wildlife activists have demanded that the firing range be shifted from its present location as it is near a wildlife sanctuary area, which also doubles up as an important wildlife corridor and migration zone.
However, the Army official this reporter spoke to, said the range was not located in a designated forest area.
“The range has been in operation since the 1960s. We have always maintained a strict protocol of communication to local administration before any firing session starts,” said the official.
He added that the Army undertakes target practice and does not fire stray shells in the zone.
State forest sources however pointed out that a major portion of the Army firing range falls within designated forest area.
“Normally, the state forest department ensures that the wildlife remains beyond the area of operation,” the Army official said, obliquely shifting the responsibility onto the forest department.
“There is a three-tier insulation system during such a firing. It is strange how such an incident happened this time,” a senior forest department official said.
The local administration and police provide clearances before firing practice is started by the Army. In this case, the Army reportedly initmated the local administration beforehand for the March 13 shelling.
The forest officer added that the forest department is conducting its own inquiry as well as participating in a joint exercise with the Army to find out the actual causes.
“Recently, 16 wildlife organisations had a meeting and made a decision to request the Army for shifting their firing range from this critical wildlife corridor; and if that is not possible at the moment, then undertake better monitoring particularly drone surveillance immediately before the firing starts,” said Basu.
“Now, highly improved technologies and communication are available, and the Army as well as the state forest department should use those according to a well-defined protocol before such firing practice is done,” Animesh Bose, an wildlife expert from non profit HNAF and member of the state wildlife advisory board, told this reporter.
Another activist raised a bigger question: “The state forest department cannot shirk its responsibility. It’s strange how such firing practice has been allowed so long by it in a designated forest area.”
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