Man-animal conflict on the rise in North Bengal

Pramod Giri, HT, 19 Nov 2016, SILIGURI: The rise in elephant population, depredation of forest cover and increasing number of elephants’ encroaching into villages have resulted in worsening of the man-elephant relations in northern parts of Bengal. 

North Bengal which has vast reserved and unreserved forests ranging from Bengal-Assam to Bengal-Bhutan and BengalNepal borders has about 700 migratory elephants. 

The man-elephant conflict intensifies in the region, particularly during the maze and paddy seasons as marauding pachyderms damage crops while the humans respond by electrocution, poisoning and forceful driving. 

The fencing of elephants’ traditional corridor by Nepal government along Mechi River has added to the woes of the wild life department. 

Earlier, the marauding elephants used to cross over to Nepal and used to come back to Indian side after raiding crops. 

Last Monday’s incident in which a tusker created ruckus in Dooars is a reminder that unless some concrete mechanism is put in place, the conflict would only aggravate. 

The tusker which strayed from Dyna forest overturned a vehicle of wild life squad at Saraswatipurtole, under Angrabhasa gram panchayat 1, Nagrakata block of Jalpaiguri district as it was chased by villagers. 

Gopal Chandra Roy, the beat officer, a forest guard and the driver who were inside the vehicle had a miraculous escaped. 

Though the elephant population is steadily rising in North Bengal, it is extremely stressed. 

North Bengal forests are divided into three zones.The portion that falls in the second zone in between Teesta River and Torsha River is the most vulnerable conflict line where on an average 15 to 18 people die annually. 

As many as 12 to 15 people and 10 to 12 people die annually in elephant’s attacks in the first zone extending from Mechi River along Indo-Nepal border to Teesta River.