Assam to draft SOP on human-wildlife conflict
In a major bid to resolve the escalating ecological crisis, the Assam Government has initiated a comprehensive consultative process to develop a scientific and sustainable strategy for managing human-wildlife conflict across the State, with a particular focus on the human-elephant conflict and the rising monkey menace.
This was announced by Assam Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Jayanta Mallabaruah, following a high-level meeting with Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), senior forest officials, and key stakeholders at the Assam Legislative Assembly campus in Dispur. The discussions aimed to identify region-specific interventions, bolster inter-agency coordination, and draft a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
Highlighting the gravity of the human-elephant conflict, Mallabaruah revealed that nearly 150 human lives are lost annually in the State due to encounters with elephants. Apart from the loss of life, wild herds cause extensive damage to agricultural crops and rural livelihoods.
According to the Minister, the long-term solution lies in massive afforestation drives to enhance forest cover and build natural habitats for elephants. The Government is exploring dedicated plantations of tree species that serve as natural food sources, reducing the animals’ dependency on agricultural fields.
Under a new scientific mapping approach, the State has been divided into distinct “elephant management zones” based on herd populations and migratory patterns rather than administrative boundaries. Dedicated consultations will be held within each zone, involving local MLAs, wildlife experts, and forest officers to customise regional interventions, such as solar fencing and bio-fencing. The Minister cautioned that the indiscriminate installation of solar fences often merely diverts herds into adjacent localities without addressing the core crisis.
The State Government is also exploring the use of aerial seeding in difficult, inaccessible terrains where conventional plantation drives are not feasible. Forest Battalions, the Armed Forces, and local institutions will be roped in for these afforestation programmes.
Addressing the monkey menace, which has severely hit agriculture and horticulture across several districts, Mallabaruah stated that the Government is examining humane, scientific interventions. Among these is a proposed animal sterilisation programme. Drawing on successful models from other States, the Government is assessing the feasibility of specialised veterinary mobile units, operating facilities, and dedicated transport. However, any sterilisation programme will only be implemented after extensive public consultation and constituency-level assessments by local MLAs, the Minister added.
To ease the distress of the affected families, the Government is simultaneously streamlining the compensation mechanism. Dedicated funds will be placed with District Commissioners to facilitate immediate, hassle-free disbursement of financial relief following verification. This expedited process will cover crop damage and loss of life caused by elephants, tigers, and other wild animals.
All stakeholders have been requested to submit their written recommendations by 20 or 21 July. Based on these inputs, the Forest Department aims to ready the final comprehensive SOP by 22 July.
