Awareness meeting held on man-elephant conflict mitigation in Boko

A CORRESPONDENT

BOKO: The Kamrup West Division Forest Office organized an awareness meet on human-elephant conflict mitigation in collaboration with Bondapara forest range and World Wide Fund (WWF) for nature, India at Singra- Palahpara Cultural Stage under Singra forest range on Saturday. The meeting was funded by the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).

The meeting was presided over by the Kamrup West Division DFO Dimpy Bora, where the Boko Constituency MLA Nandita Das took part as a chief guest, WWF officials Hiten Baishya and David Smith took part as resource persons. More than 30 village headmen took part in the awareness meet under the Singra and Bondapara Ranges.

The main motive of the awareness meet was to mitigate the man-elephant conflict in the region. WWF official Hiten Baishya requested the village headman to observe why elephants entered their villages and then find a solution. As part of the solution, Baishya said, “Most of the times, elephants entered the villages and destroyed the paddy fields and banana gardens. So villagers should understand that if they start a lemon garden, which elephants do not like, the elephants will leave the place permanently.”

“On the other hand, if villagers come to know that a herd of elephants will enter the village, they should make a paste of chilli powder and burn it. When elephants get the smell, they will not come near,” Baishya added.

DFO Dimpy Bora requested all the village headmen to look into the matter of encroachment in reserve forest areas. “To control the man and elephant conflicts, the forest department has already made 17 Anti-Depredation Squad and one central squad in the West Kamrup Divisional jurisdiction,” said Bora.

Reacting to a recent incident where a 25-year man survived from an elephant attack in Mousuwa village under Singra reserve forest, DFO Bora requested the villagers not to go unnecessarily behind the elephants.

During the awareness meet, DFO Dimpy Bora along with MLA Nandita Das distributed high-capacity torchlights and firecrackers to the 31 village headmen under the Singra and Bondapara Range office. MLA Nandita Das requested the villagers not to disturb the elephants unnecessarily.

“We all know that elephants are peaceful and intelligent animals like us, they understand where to go and from where they came. But when people create obstacles, the elephants are left with no choice but to attack people. So people should remain calm and give way to the elephants to pass,” said MLA Nandita Das.

WWF official David Smith said in his speech that nowadays villagers use electric fencing to save their gardens or cultivation from elephants, as a result of which sometimes elephants and sometimes people die due to electrocution. “People should use solar-powered fencing by taking permission from the forest department, so that both animal and people’s lives can be saved,”said David Smith.

Also Read: Seminar held on Chatra Divas in Dhubri on birth anniversary of Bodofa Upendranath Brahma

Also Watch: