The human-wildlife conflict has assumed alarming proportions in Uttarakhand. The human-leopard and human-elephant conflicts pose major challenges and sensible ideas will have to be implemented before the conflict assumes greater proportions, said Brijendra Singh who heads the high powered committee on human-wildlife conflict formed in the meeting of the State Wildlife Board recently.
Talking to The Pioneer, Singh said that the priority of the high powered committee will be to first identify crucial and conflict areas. “We will seek the opinion of the people affected and use the best brains working in the field on human-wildlife conflict. Though human-wildlife conflict involves various wild animals, the conflicts involving elephants and leopards pose major challenges”, he said.
By modulating views and recommending the most feasible measures for resolving conflict, we want to prevent the situation from escalating further. We are against the adoption of drastic measures as was done during the 1960s when the Uttar Pradesh Government had ordered the shooting of elephants which resulted in people rushing to kill the jumbos for ivory, he added.
“We are against such drastic measures and need to give the wild animals a fair chance and chalk out measures to resolve the conflict without delay. The human-elephant conflict will be a huge problem especially as their traditional corridors have been blocked and space for them has been decreasing. The human-leopard conflict exacerbated by the depletion of the big cat’s natural prey base in the forests will also require timely resolution,” he said, while adding that the committee will coordinate the opinion and suggestions of the locals in the affected area and the field experts.
When asked about the time frame for the committee to submit its recommendations, he said, “Though no such specific time frame had been given, the committee would aim to study and discuss the problem with stakeholders and experts before presenting its recommendations to the State as soon as possible.”