DIBRUGARH, Feb 20 — It is a grim situation. The man-elephant conflict in the State remains unresolved, and at the end of it, all are suffering: humans, elephants and the eco-system. Unofficial figures point to an annual human toll of 40, and on the wildlife side, it is estimated that 65 elephants have fallen to poachers’ bullets in the last three years. The crop damage caused by elephant depredation is yet to be officially quantified. It is known fact that dwindling forest cover and a rapid decrease in the quantum of available fodder for the pachyderm has forced the mammal to venture into places inhabited by humans. Especially in the September-December season, when the paddy fields are ready for harvest, and the crop is relished by the animal. Such has been the damage caused by herds of uncontrollable elephants that there has been newspaper reports of people taking out protest processions to wake up the authorities. However, till now the authorities have preferred to remain silent on the matter, or os it seems.
According to statistics obtained from various wildlife NGOs, poachers killed 24 elephants last year. Of these, 15 elephant killings were reported from the Abhoypur reserved forest in Sivasagar district, two in the Dibru Saikhowa national park and seven within the Digboi forest division. However, forest department officials refused to corroborate or deny the figures. As for human loss of life caused by wild elephants, the Centre has a standing directive to the States: Pay Rs 1 lakh per loss of human life and claim the amount from the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests, under project elephant. But in Assam, this compensation package is yet to be implemented, due to financial constraints. Earlier, the practice in the State was that the victim’s family was paid an ex-gratia of Rs 5000. This has since been enhanced to Rs 20,000. There is a proposal to increase this amount to Rs 1 lakh.
It is learnt from authoritative sources that the State Government is in the process of notifying four ‘elephants reserves’ on an equal number of recognised elephant corridors. These would be located along Manas-Baska, Kameng-Sonitpur, Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong and Dibru-Deomali. When contacted, Soumyadeep Datta of Nature’s Beckon said this so-called elephant reserves would be of little help. “Unless we have elephant sanctuaries, it would be impractical to have elephant reserves along corridors,” he insisted.
Assam Minister of State for Forests, Pradyut Bordoloi said his department is not ‘sitting idle’ as is alleged, on the man elephant conflict. He said a comprehensive plan is being finalised to minimise the conflict. His vision includes a crop insurance scheme for farmers along the elephant depredation-prone areas and fodder development scheme for the pachyderm population in the State. He said that his department has not gone slow on the proposed Joydehing rain forest sanctuary. “The name may not be Joydehing as is being mooted, but the modalities to notify the sanctuary are being worked out on a priority basis,” he told The Assam Tribune. While he refrained from setting a deadline for the notification, he emphasised that several factors about notifying the sanctuary, like taking the opinion of the existing forest villagers, the oil industry — Oil India Limited has several producing oil wells in the area — are being considered.