Oppn pulls up Govt on ‘wild elephant-human conflict’

Forest department admitted that due to attack of wild animals there is loss of property and life and Government is making all efforts to tackle the menace. The members pointed out that a total of 17 districts have been affected while in five years 199 persons have been killed where as more than 7000 houses have been damaged including loss of 32952.891 hectares of crop.

Raising call attention motion, Congress MLA Amarjeet Bhagat, T. S. Singhdeo, Dr Preetam Ram and Dr Vimal Chopra drew the attention of government that terror of wild elephants is growing day by day due to killings of tribal villagers, causing loss to standing crop, destruction of houses, consumption of stored foodgrains and food materials among others. Incidents were reported at Pratappur forest area in Surajpur, Sirpur area in Mahasamund, Ambikapur-Banaras route, Songara in Surajpur forest division among others. The elephants had also reached Badgaon, Acholi, Achola of Mahasamund, to Arang (Near Naya Raipur) through Samoda, Chaprid and Akoli. They run riot on the standing vegetable crops on the route. Deaths were also reported under Madai village of Atmanagar forest division. The villager Bodhan Singh was killed while his wife Pipariya Bai was injured. In Kartala forest division, village Sakdukla elderly woman Nevartheen Bai was crushed to death, Ramcharan Rathia was killed in pond, Kendai range Bagbuda villager Sukmat Bai Yadav was killed.

The leaders sought reply on Elephant reserve to be made in Korba, Sarguja, Jashpur and Raigarh sanctioned by Ministry of Environment, Government of India in year 2007 and to be completed by 2010. The belt identified was of Lemru, Shyang, Nakiya, Vimlata belt which was allocated to Captive Coal Mining Company as coal block.

Replying to the motion, Forest minister Mahesh Gagda said that forest department under revenue circular provisions are paying compensation to the affected families while farmers are being paid Rs 9000 per acre of land for crop loss. The forest department has paid Rs  4 lakh compensation to kin of deceased while injured Pipariya Bai was givenRs  34,906 after treatment. Those affected have been given Rs 25000 as assistance amount while those killed in Korba district due to post-mortem and nominee of deceased certificate is awaited to release payment. In Sukmat Bai case, Rs  3.75 lakh would be paid after post-mortem report while immediate assistance of Rs 25000 was given.

Awareness is being created in villages to reduce the elephant-human conflict. In affected villages elephant friend team is being constituted along with use of different technique to reduce the conflict. Elephant Relief and Rehabilitation Centre has been established at Surajpur forest division Ramkola beat where two elephants have been kept.

114334.28 hectares of forest area on September 15, 2011 has been declared as Sarguja-Jashpur Elephant Reserve where around 57 elephants have been spotted. It includes Tamor-Pingla Sanctuary of Surajpur district covering 60852.73 hectares, Semarsot sanctuary under Balrampur district covering 43036.12 hectares and Jashpur district’s Badalkhoal covering 10445.43 hectares. As per the Supreme Court order, the Nakia coal blocks (Nakia-I and Nakia-II) have been cancelled and forest land use has not been changed.

Other State policy being implemented

From Karnataka, five trained elephants have been brought to Chhattisgarh and kept at Paasid temporary camp in Mahasamund forest division. The transportation cost was around Rs 24.19 lakh while maintenance cost is Rs 7.13 lakh while training amount is Rs 7.14 lakh and temporary camp establishment cost was Rs 34.97 lakh. Two wild elephants have been put radio-collar to track the movement. Minister said that other initiatives are also being taken.