Key to avoid wild elephant’s wrath is the real time information about the movement of pachyderm and a WhatsApp group has come in handy in this regard, tells Amalendu Mishra, a wild life expert based in Ambikapur who has been running a special programme ‘Hamar Hathi Hamar Goth’ since 2016 in northern Chhattisgarh.
“Through complex network of WhatsApp group which involves forest department officials, ‘Hathi Mitra Dal’ members, local bodies representatives and local influencers in Surguja region we are able to reach over 20,000 people living in elephant sensitive zone,” claims Mishra.
‘Hamar Hathi Hamar Goth’ is a 5-minute special programme broadcasts from All India Radio (AIR) Ambikapur, Ragiarh and Raipur stations on daily basis. It airs the every-day location of wild elephants.
“According to the AIR officials the programme is quite famous and more than 4 lakh people across Chhattisgarh listen to this programme,” confirms Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) Wildlife KK Bisen.
There are few major roads including state highways that pass through forested patch in Surguja, Surajpur and Balrampur districts which are infamous for elephant encounters.
“On our WhatsApp groups especially during the evening hours, we daily receive questions whether these roads are safe to travel or not. The queries are addressed by ‘Hathi Mitra Dal’ staff which keeps a live track of wild elephant movement on the ground,” claims Mishra.
As per data from forest department during the financial year 2018-19, 56 people were killed by wild elephants in the northern Chhattisgarh. This number was much higher during 2017-18, wherein 74 people were trampled to death by the pachyderms.
Currently, there are around 220 wild elephants in Chhattisgarh which live and roam in forests of Surguja, Jashpur, Surajpur, Balrampur, Raigarh and few parts of Korba.
