South Bengal: ‘Form expert panel to tackle human-elephant conflict’

Kolkata: The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) has written to state Forest minister Birbaha Hansda requesting her to form an expert committee to tackle human-elephant conflict in South Bengal.

The development comes after the killing of a female elephant with a flaming spear. It claimed that on Independence Day, a Hulla Party (a group of villagers enlisted by the Forest department to keep elephants away from human habitats) chased away a group of elephants that had strayed into Jhargram town. A man had previously died in an encounter with a tusker from the same herd. FIAPO said that Hulla parties, which are controlled by the state Forest departments, are supposed to use drums and other non-violent means to drive away elephants but in this case, the crowd threw flaming iron spears at the elephants, one of which pierced the elephant’s back. A video was being widely circulated showing the elephant with the fiery spear sticking out of its back.

“The female elephant was killed by a Hulla team, which functions under the control of the Bengal Forest department. The incident points to the total failure of both the intent and systems of the state Forest department to mitigate human and elephant conflict in South Bengal,” FIAPO in its letter said. The organisation also pointed out the Supreme Court ban on the use of spikes or spears. It also added that the death of the female elephant points to the complete failure of the Forest department’s systems for managing human elephant conflict (HEC).

“Between 2010 and 2018, there were 30 human deaths due to human-elephant conflict in Jhargram alone. In the eight forest divisions of South Bengal, in the same period, there were a total of 268 human deaths due to HEC. In addition, 372 cases of injuries to humans were recorded in these eight forest divisions during the same period,” the

letter claimed.

Meanwhile, the state Forest department is streamlining the operation of ‘Hulla Parties’ in the backdrop of the tragic death of the pregnant elephant.