Elephant rescued from Chila reservoir

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 15

In a major rescue operation, Uttarakhand forest authorities rescued an elephant, who got stuck in the barrage in Chila area of Rajaji Tiger Reserve.

The forest authorities received an information in the wee hours today that an elephant had got stuck in the Chila barrage waters and was unable to come out. The elephant had got washed away upstream and ultimately got stuck into Chila barrage waters.

Forest officials at the nearby Gohri range were first to reach and begin rescue operations. The Uttarakhand hydro power authorities were contacted and gate number one of the barrage was immediately opened. This helped elephant come into the main river from the barrage waters following which the gate one was closed again so that volume of water downstream was reduced.

Subsequently, the decrease in water volume helped elephant come out of the river into the forest area. The elephant, who was forty year old, later left for Chaurasi Kutiya area of the reserve.