GUWAHATI: Faced with a “depleted” force over a period of time to curb an ever-rising man-elephant conflict in Assam, forest officials in the state are now exploring long-term but out-of-the-box solutions to keep the marauding tuskers away from the inhabited areas.
Of late, the death toll of humans as well as elephants has shot up sharply, with herds making their way into tea gardens, rail tracks and populated areas near forests in places such as Udalguri, Numaligarh (Golaghat), Nagaon, Goalpara and Sonitpur among other areas, either in search of food or because of a “route diversion” in the wake of their corridors being encroached upon or obstructed by human activity.
In the Dhansiri forest division of Udalguri district alone, three persons have died in such a conflict in separate areas on Monday. Since October 1, this year, seven persons have been trampled to death while one elephant was reported dead in the district.
An Upper Assam-bound passenger train was reportedly derailed after it came in contact with a herd crossing the tracks in the Titabor area in the wee hours of Wednesday. One elephant calf reportedly died in the mishap.
“The death toll of both elephants has increased from last year. Such conflicts mainly take place between Rajaduar and Bhairabkunda. Manpower crunch in the forest department has been a serious limitation. In Udalguri alone we are short of 35 frontline personnel,” M.K. Sarma, the divisional forest officer of Dhansiri forest division, told The Shillong Times on Thursday.
The department is now contemplating having plantations and water bodies across stretches on the fringes of the forest.
“We are exploring stretches of land on the fringes of forests where vegetables and fruit-bearing trees can be grown so that the herds can have their food and take shelter without entering inhabited areas. Small water bodies and ponds can be facilitated for the elephants to quench their thirst, particularly during the winter season when water is scarce,” Sarma said.
The DFO further said that he would soon have meetings with village headmen and families who have had to bear the brunt of the conflict.
“We want to get to the root of the problems at the ground level so as to devise effective methods to minimize conflicts. Villagers to have to be oriented with the behavioural aspects of the herds so that they learn to co-exist with the animals by not scaring or intimidating them and doing the right things instead,” he said.
Apparently, humans too have been responsible for aggravating the conflict, with villagers encroaching upon forest areas and resorting to intimidation.
“Not always do these marauding herds enter human habitation in search of food though. It may also be due to a diversion in their route,” Sarma said.
It may be mentioned that wildlife conservation organisation, Aaranyak, which has time and again advocated a coordinated approach among government departments to effectively tackle the conflict, has encouraged people to grow certain plants which are not consumed by elephants, in and around their residences.
“We are in fact, testing certain plants which elephants do not consume and encouraging people to grow them so that the herds do not intrude residential areas in search of food,” an expert from Aaranyak had informed recently.