Snake helpline, but snail-paced response

AHMEDABAD: When Rohit Patel, a farmer of Vanalia village in Sanand taluka, went to his farm well on Sunday morning, he spotted an Indian rock python inside. As sightings of pythons in Sanand-Viramgam region is common, Patel decided to call the forest department on its helpline number, 7600009845/46.
“However, the response I got from the helpline was shocking.They told me to text them the exact location of the sighting,” Patel told TOI. “When I told them that I am illiterate and can’t send SMSs, they told me to empty the well by pumping out the water and said they would send someone the next day. I can’t save a snake at the cost of my irrigation water.”
Similarly, Arwind Patel of Liya village of Viramgam taluka spotted a python on a tree at his farm and called the helpline number. “They took three hours to reach and by the time they arrived, the snake had already left the place,” he said.
A peacock was mauled by dogs in Paldi area of Ahmedabad on Thursday. The helpline sent responders after five hours. The forest department has signed an MoU with an NGO, Nature Conservation Foundation (Gujarat), and has delegated the operation of the helpline number to it.
“We have not received a single complaint about the helpline number so far,” said the assistant conservator of forests, R K Patel.
However, Mukesh Bhati of Shree Cultural Foundation, said: “When I narrated the incidents of helpline to R K Patel, he told me that they had decided to change the NGO operating the helpline.” Bhati claims to have his conversation with Patel recorded.