Plantation in Khalingduar Reserve Forest to reduce man-elephant conflict

A CORRESPONDENT

TANGLA: Amidst the worrying statistics of casualties of man-elephant conflict in Udalguri district, wildlife activist Nabajyoti Baruah who in the recent years has adopted measures to combat the situation, carried out a three-day-long plantation drive of the Tora (Alpina) plant which would act as fodder for the elephants who descend down the hills in search of food. According to reports, Baruah has planted nearly 3000 saplings of Tora (Alpina) plant in Khalingduar Reserve Forest under Nonai Range in Udalguri district from July 6 to July 8.

The drive is aimed to prevent human-elephant conflicts. "Through the initiative, I have planted saplings of Tora (Alpina) which will act as fodder for the elephant in the long run as the elephants, which venture into villages and wreak havoc, will satiate their hunger by eating them," Nabajyoti Baruah said. According to official statistics in the period of 2012-2016, a total of 78 people lost their lives while 2,029 houses were destroyed by wild pachyderms and 865 hectares of paddy fields were destroyed. From 2016 to 2021, 31 elephants died against 72 human deaths. In the period of 2016-2020, a total of 905 hectares of crop land was damaged along with the damage of 1480 households.

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