Ripening of paddy escalates human-elephant conflict in Assam

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Along with the ripening paddy in the fields in Assam, the man-elephant conflict has escalated in the recent past in the state, leading to the killing of at least four people.

According to sources, at Udalguri, Bangalipara, Beelpara, and Rangapara, four people died in elephant attacks, besides the damage to many houses. According to reports, since 2014, elephants have killed around 570 people. A few elephants were also killed in such conflicts during the period.

A retired forest official said, "There cannot be any solution to the man-elephant conflict at the government or forest department level. If anything concrete at all comes, that will be at the level of the affected people. This is because the local people are accustomed to elephant behaviour and the corridors they graze and follow".

An expert doing his research work on the man-elephant conflict said, "The man-elephant conflict will escalate further if there is no protection for elephant food, habitat, and corridors. An adult elephant consumes 240 kg of plant materials in 18 hours. However, due to the shrinking of their habitats, elephants do not get adequate food materials. This apart, the elephant population in the state is maintaining a rising trend against the shrinkage in their habitats. Assam now has around 6,000 elephants. The number increases when elephants come to Assam from Bhutan, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, etc., leading to the escalation of man-elephant conflict."

The elephant depredation into human habitations and paddy fields increases when paddy in the fields starts ripening. To mitigate the situation, a few NGOs and wildlife activists have come forward with activities like planning plants that may serve as fodder for elephants near hills. This practice yields results in some areas.

In some areas, the Forest Department has erected solar fencing to prevent elephants from entering human habitations and paddy fields.

State Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said that the encroachment of elephant habitats is the root cause of the man-elephant conflict. He said that the State Government had to cough up around Rs 9 crore a year as compensation for the killing of humans by elephants. According to him, 1,330 elephants died in the state from 2001 to 2022, including 509 natural deaths, 261 deaths for unknown reasons, 202 deaths due to electrocution, 102 in train accidents, 65 deaths from poisoning, 40 deaths by poachers, and 18 deaths from lightning.

The moot point is that 'the problem will continue to escalate further so long as we continue to encroach upon elephant habitats in a rampant way'.

Also Read:    Assam: Multi-pronged strategy for human-elephant conflict mitigation

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