[Bengia Ajum]
ROING, 3 Feb: A joint team of the Lower Dibang Valley district police and forest officials recovered the mutilated body of head constable Chikseng Manpang on Tuesday morning from the Mayudia area after an extensive search.
Manpang was reportedly attacked and killed by a tiger family on Monday evening, at around 7-7:30 pm, while he was riding a bike on his way to Roing from Anini in Dibang Valley district.
Hailing from Manfaiseng village in Namsai district, Manpang was a wireless telecom operator with the state police and was posted in Roing. He had reportedly been deputed on duty in Anini during the Cabinet Aapke Dwar programme and was returning home when the incident took place. His wife and young children survive Manpang.
Talking to this daily, Lower Dibang Valley Deputy Commissioner Fwwrman Brahma said that the postmortem examination of the body will be conducted on Wednesday morning, after which the body will be handed over to the family. He said also that the police received information about the incident on Monday night, at around 9:30 pm.
“The incident took place between 7 and 7:30 pm, but the area has mobile network issues, and therefore the police received the information at around 9:30 pm,” he said.
Meanwhile, the DC has issued an advisory, urging the people of the district to avoid using the Mayudia road on foot or on two-wheelers.
“In the interest of public safety, all residents, commuters, and visitors are hereby advised to remain extremely cautious and avoid venturing out on foot or using two-wheelers in the said area until the tiger is safely restrained or contained. Commuters travelling by four-wheelers are also advised to remain extra vigilant, careful, and to exercise all precautionary measures while travelling through the particular route,” the DC stated in the advisory.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Mitu Rumi of the Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary, under which Mayudia falls, said the department fully understands the pain and anger of the people.
“The fear and anger of the public are understandable. We are working with an SOP to catch the tigers as early as possible,” he said.
He added that three tigers had been spotted in the area over the last one month. “This includes an adult tigress and two sub-adult cubs. Our patrolling team has been on the ground regularly for the past month,” said DFO Rumi.
Meanwhile, the environment, forest and climate change department informed that minister Wangki Lowang and his adviser Wanglin Lowangdong held a meeting with senior officers, including the PCCF & head of the forest force and the PCCF (wildlife) & chief wildlife warden, in Itanagar on Tuesday to take stock of the situation and issue appropriate directions for managing the situation on the ground.
In a statement, the department said that, based on the decisions taken during the meeting, a team of veterinary doctors – Dr Sorang Tadap, veterinary surgeon, Itanagar zoo, and Dr Pranjit Basumatary, veterinary surgeon, CBRC under the Pakke Tiger Reserve – along with tranquilising equipment, has been directed to move immediately to the Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary division to assist the DFO in handling the situation.
Further, the field director of the Namdapha Tiger Reserve and the divisional forest officer of the Kamlang Tiger Reserve have been directed to send expert teams of STPF guards along with adequate arms and equipment to assist the Mehao team. The divisional forest officer of the Dibang forest division has been directed to extend additional logistical support.
The chief conservator of forests, eastern Arunachal circle, will monitor and supervise the ground situation and submit periodic reports in this regard. Additionally, a technical and expert committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the chief conservator of forests, eastern Arunachal dircle, for continuous monitoring and advisory support on the ground.
The department informed also that they will release an ex gratia amount of Rs 10 lakh to the victim’s family.
