Jamshedpur, February 11 The East Singhbhum district administration has directed the forest department to relocate jackals roaming around the Sonari airport here to a safe location in view of the proposed visit of President Droupadi Murmu to Jamshedpur on February 26, an official said on Wednesday.
The forest department has decided to seek assistance from the local zoo authorities to carry out this order.
Murmu was scheduled to perform the groundbreaking ceremony and lay the foundation stone for the Sri Jagannath Spiritual and Cultural Charitable Centre Trust in the Kadma area here.
In a letter to the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Jamshedpur on Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner Karn Satyarthi said it is important to relocate the jackals from Sonari airport to a safe location before Murmu's visit.
DFO Saba Alam Ansari told PTI that the department, with the help of the Tata Steel Zoological Park, will launch a campaign to remove the animals from the airport.
When asked how the jackals entered the facility located in the heart of the industrial city, Alam said the airport compound is large and has bushes, which are the jackals' habitat.
There have been previous attempts to remove them, but these attempts were not entirely successful, the DFO said.
On Monday, Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police Piyush Pandey inspected the venue in Kadma here, where President Murmu will perform the 'Bhoomi Pujan' and lay the foundation stone of the Sri Jagannath Spiritual & Cultural Charitable Centre Trust on February 26.
Meanwhile, SK Behera, Managing Trustee of the Spiritual Centre, said it will be a landmark project.
The centre, which will span 2.5 acres, will be constructed entirely of stone, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship and traditional temple architecture, said Behera, also a leading industrialist.