Guwahati, July 14: Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah on Monday said restoring degraded wildlife habitats was the most sustainable way to reduce the growing human-elephant conflict in the state and announced that a meeting with all MLAs would be held on July 15 to discuss strategies to address the issue.
Replying to a Calling Attention motion moved by BJP MLA Padma Hazarika in the Assam Assembly, Baruah said the government had observed a decline in human-elephant conflict in areas where encroached forest land had been reclaimed.
“Wherever we have been able to clear forest land of encroachment, we have found that human-elephant conflict has decreased there. It has happened in three to four places,” the minister said.
He stated that although the elephant population had increased at a normal rate, shrinking forest cover and fragmented habitats had forced elephants to enter human settlements in search of food and water.
Baruah also said development activities along traditional elephant corridors and the alleged torture of elephants in neighbouring states had contributed to the movement of elephants into parts of Assam where they were not previously seen.
The minister said the government was implementing both immediate and long-term measures to tackle the problem. Long-term efforts would focus on restoring natural forest habitats, while short-term initiatives include installing solar fencing, creating waterholes inside forests, promoting Assam lemon plantations as natural barriers, scientifically evaluating beekeeping as an elephant deterrent, and strengthening Rapid Response Teams to respond to conflict situations.
He informed the House that a meeting with all MLAs would be held on July 15 to discuss the issues of human-elephant conflict and monkey menace.
Earlier, BJP MLA Padma Hazarika urged the government to adopt a scientific and long-term strategy to address the increasing incidents of human-elephant conflict across the state.
