Parimal Suklabaidya, who recently took charge as the Cabinet minister for environment & forest along with minister of state for environment & forest, Naba Kumar Doley and top-level forest department officials on Tuesday visited Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary in the city.
The ministers, as per sources, also had a boating experience in the Deepor Beel, a wetland, but question has been raised how the ministers could be allowed to travel in the wetland on a boat without life jackets.
“Whoever took the decision to provide forest minister Parimal Suklabaidya and his deputy, minister Doley, a boating experience in Deepor Beel, was a wrong decision as there was every possibility of happening any kind of mishap. The tour in the wetland on boat without life jackets was very risky,” said a wildlife expert.
Deepor Beel, which is a part of Rani-Garbhanga landscape, provides shelter to over hundred species of birds and fish. Besides, wild elephants also frequently visit Deepor Beel from the Rani-Garbhanga Reserve Forest.
On Monday, forest and environment minister Suklabaidya went to Rani-Garbhanga Reserve Forest to see an injured elephant which was attacked by wild tuskers in the forest. The injured elephant had undergone an operation which was conducted by a team of veterinarians of the State forest department on Monday.
During the visit of the ministers in Ramsar Site Deepor Beel, Kaushik Barua, chairman of Assam Elephant Foundation, Dr Bibhab Talukdar, chief executive officer of Aaranyak, Jataditya Purkayastha of Help Earth were also present.