By SANTOSH MOHANTY
Odisha has 14
elephant corridors, which are mostly used by jumbos for moving to different
forest locations, known to us as their migration
routes. However, the Odisha forest and environment department has allegedly not
taken appropriate measures to protect these corridors for the safe passage of
the world's largest living animals.
These corridors are
snapped by human habitation, railway lines, highways and high tension overhead electric lines that pose danger to the animals.
The elephants are often prone to attacks by people living in the areas close to
the corridors. Moving vehicles and trains also pose serious threat to their
lives. These elephant corridors are fragmented beyond repair, the
environmentalist said and added that the government of the day must prepare a
comprehensive plan of action to set right the issue. They said construction of
underpasses beneath highways and railway lines should be taken up on a war
footing to ensure a hassle free passage for the pachyderms.
The Elephant Corridor signboard put up by Angul forest division in Odisha to aware the passers by for staying away from the migration route of the jumbos
As the elephant
corridors have been snapped by mindless construction in and around the passage,
the pachyderms have no other go than to intrude into human habitation and
therefore the elephant-man conflict goes on.
It is worth
mentioning here that, in the past two years, as many as 40 live were lost and
scrores injured following attack by elephants in Angul-Talcher and Dhenkanal
regions of Odisha that houses most jumbos in the state. The elephant population
in Angul forest division has been increasing in the past few years, according
to the officials of the forest wing. The elephant-man tussle has become day to
day affair as marauding tuskers go on
rampage in several villages in Angul forest division forcing people to stay
indoors even during day. Jumbos prefer to stay in herds in some villages like
Saharagoda, Dhokuta, Saradhapur and Purnagarh under Angul forest division where
village forests are mostly found. And, this has become a bane for the denizens
of the regions. The villagers of the above mentioned areas said the wild
elephants wreak havoc in their locality destroying their farming and houses at
night and the menace continued till dawn.
People in Nuakheta,
Talagarh and Bargaunia in Angul district said they are living in constant fear
as jumbos roam in their mango orchards all along the night to eat magoes. They
have completely devastated their orchards, the villagers said and added that
the wild herds have hit hard on their sustenance as during mango season they
earn money by selling the fruits in the local markets. They lamented that this
year they have not dared to go their orchards and collect mangoes as herds of
elephants raom freely there.
Social activist working for conservation of wildlife sepecies in Angul district said as the migration has been hindered, the elephants have been forced to remain in a particular forest region for long and it is natural they run out of food. The jumbos have other alternative than to barge into human habitation where they get food, the activists added.
They said as by nature elephants are migratory and cannot move due to hindrances, it is quite natural that they become irritated and go on rampage in villages attacking people on their way.
A few years ago a Corridor
Management Plan was prepared by Odisha government, but till date no action was
taken in this regard. A report said concerned Divisional Forest Officers(DFOs)
were entrusted with the responsibililty to carry out a plan of action for
corridor management and thereby reduce elephant-man conflict in vulnerable
forest regions in the state. But, little was known about the fate of the
corridor management plan.
