The forest department destroyed 53 ivory tusks by setting them on fire in Barjora in Bankura today. “The ivory tusks were kept in safe custody of our three forest divisions in the district; those were collected over a period of 10 years after the death of elephants here,” said S Kulandivel, chief conservator of forests (central circle) of South Bengal.
He said, “Those were destroyed following the provisions of the country’s Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and had received approval for burning from the principal conservator of forests (wildlife).” The act doesn’t allow auctioning for the tusks as a preventive measure to check black marketing. Karmadhyaksha (forest), Bankura zilla parishad, Chitta Mahato and the honorary conservator of forests, Mathur Kapri, besides the DFOs of three Bankura forest divisions were present