REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE
Agartala, June 12: Tripura Forest Minister Animesh Debbarma said on Tuesday that the forest department would undertake a multi-pronged plan to mitigate man-animal conflict in Tripura's lone elephant corridor that falls in the Khowai district of Tripura.
Considering the ecological importance of the area, the forest department is planning to construct underpasses beneath the national highways so that the elephants could move freely in the ecologically sensitive zone, Debbarma told media persons.
“Man-animal conflict is a hot topic in Tripura. I have chaired a review meeting in the presence of SDFO Teliamura, DFO Khowai, PCCF and CCF, and other higher officials. After hours of brainstorming, the forest department has decided to resolve the problem through a comprehensive roadmap,” he added.
According to the newly inducted minister in the Manik Saha-led Tripura cabinet, he had instructed the officials to take a number of steps so that this perennial crisis could be resolved permanently.
“I have instructed the officials to prepare a DPR to mitigate the crisis. As a pilot project, long trenches will be dug up so that wild jumbos can be kept at bay from human settlements. In the Teliamura and Mingiakami forest ranges, five elephant watch towers will be installed. We will make arrangements for 24 hours of uninterrupted vigil in those towers. Special guns will be used to frighten the elephants. Purchase orders for these sophisticated weapons will be placed soon. Special elephant watchers will be recruited, and in each of the towers, six people will be on duty round the clock,” he added.
Apart from that, the tested technique of bio fencing will also be devised to keep the elephants away from human settlements.
“Lemon tree, cactus, chilly, and ginger are some crops that irritate the jumbos. They never come closer to these plants, as they have allergic reactions to them. We shall make large-scale plantations of these crops. To ensure food for elephants, salt and banana trees will be made available in the deep forest. So far, we know the elephants can't pass through national highways, which is why they got confined to a small area.”
“We have promised construction of underpasses in three places. In the future more than five such underpasses will be constructed so that the elephants can move freely,” he added.
