Every-year, at least 500 people are killed by jumbos and 100 elephants lose their lives as they come into conflict with humans in search of food and migration from one habitat to another in the country.
This is a matter of concerns, said Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar at an event here after release of a document on best practices of conflict management and launch of the national portal of project elephant which will have all the data and details of elephant
“We do not kill animals. Animals are revered in India. We have to devise good conflict management practices. We have also started a fodder and water augmentation programme in elephants’ habitat and corridor,” Javadekar said on World Elephant Day on Monday. As per the last census conducted in 2017, India is home to 30,000 elephants while over 2,700 are in the captivity.
Addressing the event, Javadekar said elephant conservation is vital as it balances the ecosystem. Elephants have to be kept in forests for which fodder and water augmentation programme has been initiated, the minister said, adding that by next year results will start showing.
“The Government has taken initiative of fodder and water augmentation in forest areas so that animals will get food and water in forest area and will not come outside,” he said adding that LiDAR technology is being used for it.
Union Minister of State for Environment Babul Supriyo said, it is a moment of pride that India is having 60 percent of Global population of Asian Elephants.
Giving out the figures of deaths due to human-elephant conflict, Additional Director General of Forests (Wildlife) Soumitra Dasgupta said hundreds of elephants migrate and come in contact with human beings.
“More than 500 human and 100 elephant deaths take place each year due to the conflict. In last five years, the ministry has unleashed a series of activities for the conservation of elephants. More elephant corridors have been identified, budget has been increased by 30 per cent and several committees have also been formed,” said Dasgupta.
“New elephant reserves have been declared and elephant corridors have also been identified in the past five years to address the problem. Elephants have also been included in appendix 1 of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals to ensure better conservation.”
Sanjay Kumar, director-general of forests, said the population and distribution of elephants in the country have been on the rise. They have been migrating from Jharkhand to Chhattisgarh to Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
“New interactions are leading to more conflict. They are migrating to newer areas. We are trying to identify research methodologies to understand how the population can remain stable in new areas,” he said.