Mitigate human-wildlife conflict: Jumbo rescue centre to be set up in Bankura

Kolkata: In a significant step towards man-elephant conflict mitigation measures, the state Forest department is coming up with an elephant rescue centre at Bankura mainly for housing rogue elephants.

The department has received Rs 650 crore from JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) which will be utilised for the afforestation programme, mitigation of human-wildlife conflict and wildlife conservation.

In recent times there has been more than one instance of human conflict with rogue elephants in the adjoining forest villages of south Bengal.

The forest department officials need to tranquilise such elephants and then take them to North Bengal for their housing which is a time taking affair. Recently, a rogue elephant died soon after being tranquilised at Jhargram and the department has been dragged to court over the issue.

“Our special emphasis will be on the mitigation of human-elephant conflict. We are developing a massive elephant rescue centre spanned over an area of 1500 hectares in Bankura. We have plans of adding facilities of elephant safari in this place,” Soumitra Dasgupta, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest in the state said.

A senior official of the department said that the forest areas of southwest Bengal will be made friendly for the elephants so that they remain confined within their habitat and do not stray into human territory resulting in conflict. The department is planning to create ‘elephant cases’ – forest patches with rich sources of fodder and water to keep the pachyderm away from human settlement.

He maintained that the department will follow the measures taken in Srilanka and South Africa and of late in Kerala that have proved successful in mitigating man-elephant conflict for the state.

The department is optimistic about reaping the benefits of new technology in all sections of forest and wildlife considering Japan’s expertise with JICA lending financial support. The JICA funds can be utilised for eight years.

Bengal accounts for a good number of human deaths in human–elephant conflicts with over 400 people being killed between 2015-16 and 2019-20.

The funds will also be used for handing over advanced weapons and dresses to the forest guards for better protection from animal attacks during patrolling and curbing of poaching activities.

The forest guards will be given 1000 motorcycles for patrolling in this ongoing financial year for which the department will be spending Rs 21 crore. Rs 46 crore has been earmarked for creating an elephant corridor.