SHILLONG: The encroachment of human activities into elephant habitats in the State has resulted in a spurt in man-animal conflicts in West Khasi Hills District causing several deaths and injuries during the last five years.
According to the reports available with the State Forest Department, there were as many as 1255 cases of human-elephant conflicts between 2007-08 and 2011-12.
Out of these 1255 cases, there were three instances when human lives were lost while in four other cases injury was inflicted on humans.
“If encroachment into the animal habitats continues, the man-elephant conflict in the State will be intensified and the animals will continue to attack humans, their property and crops,” Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Khasi Hills Division, PS Nongbri, said.
The Union Government had tried to find alternatives to address man-elephant conflicts by introducing the Project Elephant in 1992. In the State the project was initiated in the plains of South Garo Hills, West Garo Hills, West Khasi Hills and Ri Bhoi districts in view of the high concentration of the pachyderm population in these areas.
“To tackle this problem, there is need for the animals to move freely without any obstacle,” Nongbri said.
With this view in mind, the Government is now concentrating its efforts to create a Khasi Hills Elephant Reserve comprising an area of about 1825 sq kms approximately covering two districts – West Khasi Hills and South West Khasi Hills.
However, the project has been hit in the form of objections from NGOs, traditional bodies and coal and limestone mining lobbies.
When asked whether any other district has been identified for setting up of such reserves, Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) YS Shullai informed that a plan has been conceived to declare a forest area in the northern part of Ri Bhoi and West Khasi Hills districts bordering Assam as an elephant reserve.
According to the elephant census done in 2008, the State is left with just 1,810 of the gentle giants.
“An extensive awareness programme is being undertaken to minimize the conflict situation,” Shullai added.