Nashik: The employees and officials at forest department were working under mental stress due to Covid-19 situation as well as increasing leopard attacks. Soon the forest workers will be given duty in three shifts and will get the benefit of weekly leave too. It is a great relief to the officers and employees of the forest department that the forest workers will now get fixed hours of duty.
Over the last few days, the incidents of wildlife attacks as well as the load of work from the seniors made a forest worker to request for voluntary retirement. Especially, the increasing leopard attacks in Samangaon, Hinganvedha, Babhaleshwar, Palse, Donwade, Mohgaon, Kotamgaon, Shinde and other villages, made them to work without taking rest.
The forest department officials have to face the wrath of the people. Against that background, the forest department has decided to give shift-wise duty to the personnel of the Special Rescue Squad. The patrolling staff of forest department will be increased in the eastern part of Nashik which is prone to leopards. For this, joint teams have been formed for the Nashik East and West divisions.
Additional manpower will also be made available through the patrol squad. At the same time, the employees will get regular rest along with weekly and government holidays. Due to the planning of the duties of the employees, the officers and employees who work day and night will be relieved to some extent.
As Nashik forest area is large and spread in various terrains, officers and employees have to rush in case of any incident or accident, related to forest. Against this backdrop, shift wise duty and weekly leave of forest workers will be planned. It will give relief to the employees and officers to some extent. – Anil Anjankar, Chief Conservator of Forests
