Jalpaiguri: The Horticulture department will distribute 18,000 tissue-cultured banana saplings across flood-affected areas of Jalpaiguri district. However, the initiative will exclude Nagrakata, Mal, Meteli and Banarhat blocks, which lie in wildlife-dominated zones prone to frequent elephant incursions.
The decision comes after repeated incidents of elephants entering human settlements in search of bananas, raising safety concerns for both residents and wildlife. “The blocks of Meteli, Nagrakata, Banarhat and Mal experience frequent wild elephant incursions. Since elephants are attracted to bananas, distributing saplings there could increase human-elephant conflicts,” said Khurshid Alam, Assistant Director of the Horticulture department.
In contrast, blocks such as Maynaguri, Dhupguri, Kranti, Rajganj and Jalpaiguri Sadar—where elephant activity is comparatively low—have been selected for sapling distribution.
Farmers in these areas will receive tissue-cultured saplings of Malbhog and Jahaji (G-9 variety) bananas free-of-cost, with 10,000 Malbhog and 8,000 Jahaji saplings set to arrive from the department’s central farm in Nadia, South Bengal, shortly after Chhath Puja.
“These tissue-cultured plants are disease-free, grow rapidly and yield higher production, offering farmers a reliable source of income,” Alam added. The saplings will be distributed through the offices of Block Development Officers (BDOs), who will receive them according to lists of eligible farmers submitted by each block. While the department has avoided distributing bananas in elephant-prone blocks, it plans to supply alternative fruit tree saplings that are less attractive to wildlife in these areas.
Officials emphasised that this measure aims to balance post-flood agricultural recovery with wildlife safety, preventing potential crop damage and human-elephant conflicts in the Dooars region.
This initiative forms part of the Horticulture department’s broader strategy to support farmers affected by floods, ensuring sustainable cultivation while mitigating risks from local wildlife.