Army generates ecosystem for coexistence with Amchang jumbos

GUWAHATI: The Indian army has generated a unique ecosystem for peaceful co-existence with wild elephants by aiming to mitigate the human-elephant conflict in the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary.

According to the Indian Army and Assam forest department, there are around 90 wild elephants living in the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary who often visited the military station. In the area of the military station, the Indian army has created several ponds and planted fruit trees and grasses for wild elephants. The army personnel of the military station have made clear paths for the free movement of elephants.

Major General RK Jha, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 51 Sub Area at Narengi told ANI that, first we should understand that, it is their home and we have intruded.

"We have a very good ecosystem. There are around 10,000 population citizens of within the Narengi Military Station and we have educated every personnel. Around 35-40 wild elephants often roam in the military station. We should understand that it is their home and we have intruded," Major General RK Jha said.

"The conflict starts when we start chasing them, intruding into their space. We have settled in the middle of Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary. We are very sensitive to the fact that we are in their home. We treat them with respect, we don't trouble them," he added.

Major General Jha further said that they have also taken the help of the local community, scientific community and forest officials.

"They come to this site for food and water. If we can provide them the areas in their natural corridor then they will not come here. We have used just minimum protective measures to protect our vital assets," Major General added.

On the other hand, Brigadier Sanjeev Chopra, Deputy GOC of 51 Sub Area said that even though the station has a number of troops, the wildlife has been ensured to be preserved the way it is naturally existing.

"Even though the station has a number of troops, the wildlife has been ensured to be preserved the way it is naturally existing. This is an elephant corridor and we give due respect to the elephants and called them Maharaj and give them the right of way. All citizens of Narengi Military Station have been taught how to deal with them, so there has never been a case of any kind of conflict with animals, we have a peaceful co-existence between man and elephant," he said.

The Indian army has also installed as many as 30 high-resolution CCTV cameras, and night vision cameras in the military station to monitor the movement of wild elephants.

Colonel Monark told ANI that, they are living in a mutual co-existence system at Narengi Military Station with the Maharaj (wild elephant).

"Our endeavour is to basically alert everyone. We are living in a mutual co-existence system here with the Maharaj (wild elephant). The major achievement in the last 60 years is that, we have been able to accommodate each other behavior and avoid any kind of confrontation among each other. We have set up the alarm system and created a lot of guidelines and a lot of awareness campaigns to avoid any confrontation with elephants," Monark said.

"There are long-range zoom cameras. We have nine penetrate zoom cameras with high definition and long-range and 22 high definition CCTV long-range cameras," he said.

Narengi Military Station in Guwahati with an area of around 3300 acres of land is located nearby the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary and often wild elephants have visited the military station. (ANI)

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