Marginal farmers living in the villages on the fringes of Rajaji Tiger Reserve continue to face problems due to elephants raiding their farms for food. There has also been a rise in the instance of the pachyderms visiting townships bordering RTR. With the State authorities failing to take effective action so far, the human-wildlife conflict is escalating in the State.
Observers point out that measures taken by the forest department to increase elephant fodder species appear insufficient considering the rise in instances of elephants raiding farms in recent years. “last week a herd of elephants entered the Dhanori village. More than 60 bighas of crop was destroyed,” says Tahir, a farmer from that area. Another resident of the area Saleem says, “We have approached the forest department to save our crops from the elephants. We save our harvested crops by switching on tractor lights, drum beating and horns to keep elephants at bay,” he said.
Deputy ranger of Khanpur forest range Dinesh Kukreti said, “We are receiving applications for compensation of the loss caused by raiding elephants. Some farmers have been paid the compensation amount as well.”
There has also been a rise in the cases of jumbos raiding wheat crop and sugarcane fields in various villages in Haridwar and Rishikesh. Bahadrabad, Jagjeetpur, Misserpur, Dhanori and laksar areas have also been experiencing human-elephant conflict. Nine people had reportedly died due to chance encounters with elephants in the Haridwar-Rishikesh region in 2010. In 2011, five people were killed in Khanpur and laldhang area of Haridwar district. A 50 year old man from the Van Gujjar community was trampled to death by an elephant at laldhang village in Haridwar district last year. This settlement lies in the elephant corridor which connects the RTR to Corbett. “After floods, it is the elephant raid which takes away our livelihood. Water logging in monsoon washes away most of farm land. What remains is trampled by elephants,” laments Qurban Ali of lalwala village.