NEW DELHI: In the backdrop of killings of over 1,600 people by animals across the country in the past over three years, the Centre and
West Bengal government have finalised a plan for setting up a Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) mitigation project.
The Gorumara wildlife division in north Bengal has been selected as a potential site to go ahead with the joint project under Indo-German cooperation which will see the use of newly developed instruments and other mitigation measures.
A similar state-level plan has been finalised for
Karnataka. The Kodagu forest circle in the state has been identified as the pilot site for implementing the project activities over the next four years.
"The idea behind this joint programme is to develop a model which can be replicated elsewhere in the country to prevent such (man-animal) conflicts which have not only been taking human lives but also damaging properties and standing crops of farmers living near forest areas," said an official of the environment ministry.
The agreement on technical cooperation for this purpose between India and Germany was signed in October last year. It was then decided to apply innovative instruments of HWC mitigation in select areas for developing effective and sustainable solutions.
This move is in addition to what the ministry had in January approved for undertaking 'immuno-contraceptive' method for management of wildlife conflict in the country. The immuno-contraception is non-hormonal form of contraception. It causes production of antibodies which, in turn, prevent pregnancy.
The ministry had in January sanctioned over Rs 10 crore for 'immunology contraception' of wild boars, nilgais, Rhesus Macaque Monkeys and Asian elephants.
"This project is being undertaken with the technical support of the
Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun and National Institute of Immunology, " said the official.
