Agartala, March 4: Tripura Forest Minister Animesh Debbarma on March 3 announced that the state government will construct four dedicated elephant passes at Mungiakami in Khowai district to enable the safe and unhindered movement of elephant herds in the region.
Mungiakami, located along the foothills of the Atharamura range, has been officially notified as an elephant corridor. The decision comes after two elephants were killed in 2024 when they were struck by speeding trains in the area, intensifying concerns over wildlife safety amid expanding railway and road infrastructure. Debbarma said the government is prioritising the construction of at least four elephant passes at Mungiakami and confirmed that the process of preparing a Detailed Project Report is currently underway. He added that additional passes would be developed if necessary.
Highlighting the urgent need for a scientific and sustainable response to rising human-animal conflict, the minister said the Forest Department would advocate for dedicated wildlife protection provisions when clearing major infrastructure projects in the future. He stressed the importance of negotiating with agencies executing large-scale railway and roadway projects to incorporate measures for the rehabilitation of affected villagers and animals to mitigate conflict. According to him, the matter has already been taken up with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Earlier in the day, Debbarma inaugurated a workshop on ‘Human-Animal Interaction’, where he underscored the broader ecological implications of habitat disruption. He warned that continued disturbance to wildlife habitats would severely impact ecological balance, stating that harm to the wild ultimately affects the entire ecosystem.
