Alipurduar: In response to the rising incidents of human-elephant conflict in forest-adjacent areas, the Alipurduar district administration has launched a special sanitation campaign under the ‘Mission Nirmal Bangla’ initiative.
The move comes after authorities observed that a significant number of attacks occurred when residents, especially in the early morning or at night, encountered wild elephants while defecating in the open. District Magistrate R Vimla announced the initiative on Tuesday, emphasising the urgent need to ensure sanitation infrastructure in vulnerable forest- bordering regions.
As part of the campaign, a 15-day intensive drive is underway across all six forest-adjacent blocks of the district to identify households without toilets or with makeshift ones. The administration plans to construct permanent toilets for all such households. According to the district administration reports, In many of these villages, people still go into or near the forest to defecate, increasing the risk of encounters with wild animals. Tragically, more than 20 people have died and many more have been injured in such incidents over the last 15 years.
Recent deaths in the Buxa and Jaldapara regions have prompted a renewed push for proactive measures. Alongside the construction effort, the administration has also begun an awareness campaign through wall paintings and posters advising residents on safety precautions related to wild elephants.
Block and gram panchayat officials have been instructed to set up camps in every forest village to receive applications from residents without toilets.
The verification and construction process will be treated as a priority “war-time activity”. “This is not just a sanitation issue — it’s about saving lives,” said District Magistrate Vimla. “We are identifying every household in forest-fringe villages that lacks toilets or uses temporary facilities. We will ensure every eligible household receives funds to build toilets and our awareness campaign will continue alongside.”