‘Rising’ jumbo numbers: Activists rubbish govt claim

Post News Network

Jharsuguda, Dec 9: The jumbo population in Jharsuguda district, environmentalists claim, is reported to be on the wane, though government statistics show there has been a rise in the number of elephants in the state.
Environmentalists blame the rapid industrialization of the elephant corridor and conflicts with human beings to be the main reasons for ‘reduction’ in their numbers. Due to rising industrialization, elephants no longer consider forests to be safe havens, and have started changing their routes and are headed towards urban areas in the district, they say.
The elephant censuses of the past three years reveal that the population was 1,886 in 2011, while it increased to 1,930 in 2012-13. However, there was no census in 2013-14, state forest and environment minister informed in the Assembly a few days back.
According to Jharsuguda forest office sources, an elephant, in 2011-12, had died under Kolabira range while no human casualty was reported in that period. However, three persons died in 2012-13, but no elephant death was registered during this period. Similarly, six persons died in 2013-14 and two died in 2014-15, officials sources said. Reports said, more than 10 industries in the district have come in the elephants’ path. Apart from that, there is acute shortage of foods for the pachyderms due to large scale deforestation triggered by industrialization. The elephants, in search of water, often sneak into human habitation, as they find no water body inside the forest. There are huge losses of lives of both elephants and men in the ensuing conflict.
Additional conservator of forest Basil Barla said that as such, there is no official elephant route in the forest, but some routes are identified according to the movement of elephants.
“Forest guards are engaged to provide villagers prior information about the movement of the pachyderms,” Barla said.
Life member of district environment committee Tapas Ray Choudhury said, the forest department doesn’t seem to care for the protection of elephants. Choudhury suggested digging of large pools in the forest under MGNREGS so that elephants can quench their thirst and planting of trees to meet their hunger.