Officials claim that the railway barricade has significantly reduced the conflicts of human elephants in the areas where the project has been implemented. | Photo credit: Ma Sriram
The Minister of Forests, Ecology and Environment Eshwar B. Khandre instructed the officials to ensure that solar fences and elephant -proof trenches (EPT) are maintained to minimize conflict situations. He has also sought a proposal, along with a map, to install railway barricades around the villages containing the Bandipur National Park.
Mr. Khandre was interacting with the Forest Department officials on Wednesday. He said that the maintenance of the EPT was essential, otherwise it will pave the way for elephants to cross the human landscape, resulting in a conflict situation. Similarly, solar fences must also be kept in the failure of what their installation will be useless, he said. He sought a report on the action taken by the authorities in this regard.
In the installation of the railway fence, the officials said that almost 85 km of barricades have been completed around Bandipur and the minister sought a detailed plan with MAP to take it further. Additional barricades should be installed and is expected to cost ₹ 157 million rupees. Once completed, the conflict of human elephants in areas where the barricada is extended effectively is expected.
In view of the start of summer in the coming weeks, Khandre said the department must be prepared to handle the dry season and the consequences of the animals wandering for their habitat in search of fodder and water. Therefore, Mr. Khandre said the bamboo culture should be carried along the forceful peoples of the forest limit, since it will help reduce the conflict.
The officials received instructions to ensure that the water wells in the forest do not dry during the summer. The main national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the region have scores of solar energy pump sets that help replenish water wells.
The minister said that solar energy holes must be activated and that regular pumping must be taken to replace the water wells. The lack of water during the summer is also one of the reasons for the wild animals that move away in the situation of human landscape conflict, he added.
Mr. Khandre said that the sanctuaries of wildlife, the national parks and the sanctuaries of Tigre in the region were susceptible to fire during the summer and have a history of outbreak of forest fires. Therefore, he ordered officials to make sure that preparations to combat forest fires were in their place.
This includes the additional deployment of fire observers. Both Bandipur and Nagarahole tend to name temporary observers, around 450 each, from January to the beginning of the monsoon. The lines of fire also burn and clear the vegetation and this acts as fire factors during a conflagration. In addition, the officials received instructions to interact with the villagers around the forests and take them in confidence and raise awareness about the prevention of forest fires. The authorities said that more than 45 awareness camps have already been completed in Bandipur and that another 55 camps were scheduled.
Published – January 29, 2025 08:46 pm ist
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