School Education and Literacy Department Minister Baidyanath Ram has said that elephant is not only a major species in the wildlife kingdom, but is also considered a revered creature in Indian culture. Humans and wildlife have been living peacefully in our country for centuries. However, for some time now, the expectation of human advancement has created a situation of conflict between the two species, resulting in unpleasant situations and loss of life and property on both sides. He was speaking at the International Workshop on Human-Elephant Conflict organized by the Government of Karnataka in Bengaluru on the occasion of World Elephant Day on August 12.
He praised the wildlife management system of Karnataka and said that Karnataka has a long and glorious tradition of scientific forest and wildlife management. The initiative taken by the Government of Karnataka to bring together leading experts of the world to discuss the increasing incidents of human-elephant conflict is commendable.
The Education Minister said that Jharkhand is a land of forests. More than 29 per cent of the land is covered by forests. Jharkhand is a landlocked state with a healthy elephant population roaming around. The state is also surrounded by elephant migration friendly states on all sides and is marked as the East-Central Elephant Landscape. This scenario, while on the one hand, makes it difficult for proper scientific wildlife management, on the other hand, it points out the importance and need for mutual coordination among the concerned states. The latest census shows that Jharkhand is home to about 600 to 700 elephants.
The lives of the people of Jharkhand are inextricably linked with nature and its conservation, but Jharkhand is also not untouched by the global trend of human-wildlife conflict and we are dealing with it in our own way. Both humans and elephants have lost their lives in the past years. The average annual loss of property and agriculture due to human-elephant conflict is about Rs 60 to 70 crore per year, which is compensated by the Jharkhand government in the form of compensation. Incidents of poaching are less, but the main reasons for the death of elephants in Jharkhand are train accidents and electric current. On the other hand, the people of Jharkhand see their crops produced by their hard work throughout the year and their homes getting destroyed before their eyes.
Now the time has come for us to think about those practical options and strategies that can solve these complex problems facing all of us today. We are trying to solve this situation in our own way. These solutions are of two types. First, there should be no incidents of conflict between humans and elephants and second, immediate measures should be taken in case of an incident. Some of the measures taken by the Jharkhand government include.
Formation of Rapid Response Teams at the regional level, which we intend to extend to the divisional level. Establishment of Elephant Tracking System, which is a web based application and informs people and forest department officials about elephant movements, so that timely safety measures can be taken. Identification and scientific management of elephant corridors.
Spreading latest information and awareness about elephant movements through FM radio. Mobile application (Hamar Hathi) which is publicly available to the public for latest information and assistance. 24x7 helpline number.
Establishment of a wildlife rescue centre in Ranchi. Financial incentives to local Gram Vikas Samitis for assisting in case of human-elephant conflict and in driving elephants away from human settlements.
Coordination with all departments, especially railways and electricity department. Joint survey of loose electric wires, bent and damaged poles and incidents of power theft. WhatsApp groups of regional officers of railways and forest department and coordination committees at regional level. Regulation of train speed at sensitive elephant crossing points.
Habitat improvement through development of bamboo and other types of fodder for elephants, construction of check dams and watch towers and elephant-proof structures. In the last five years, we have built a total of 1400 check dams and planted bamboo in 2629 hectares of area to improve elephant migration. Today, on the occasion of World Elephant Day, one lakh saplings of bamboo, banyan, peepal, pakkad etc. are being planted in Jamshedpur district of the state.
Distribution of free kerosene, crackers, dragon torches etc. in elephant-affected villages. Also, patrolling of the affected area with torches by special anti-elephant teams to prevent elephant herds from entering the villages.
Payment of prompt and full compensation. Our government is aware of the need to increase the compensation amount to the national level and we are also working in this direction.
Measures for conflict management through mutual cooperation by holding periodic coordination meetings of forest officials of neighboring states Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal.
Training and capacity building of field staff. Singhbhum Gaj Reserve, established in 1992, is the first and largest Gaj Reserve in the country, under which 17 out of 19 corridors of the state are marked.
