Strongly emphasizing the need to address the root cause behind the man-animal conflict, Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Mr. Suresh Prabhu pointed out that the man-animal conflict is an existential crisis not for the animals, but for human beings. Addressing a gathering to celebrate World Elephant Day today at Indira Gandhi Centre for National Arts on 12 . 8 .2018, Mr. Prabhu said that there is an urgent need to explain this existential crisis to the human population. He underlined the fact that protection of wilderness and forests is a must to protect any wildlife species. The Minister stressed the urgent need to focus on human population to optimize conservation efforts. He also acknowledged the supreme sacrifice of Late Dr. Manikandan and his family on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Director General of Forest and Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Siddhanta Das, said that in the quest for development, human intervention has fragmented habitats of elephants and destroyed forests, which in turn has led to the occurrence of man-animal conflict. Dr. Das stated that elephants keep walking an eating for 18 hours in a day and defecate half-digested food, including grass, bamboo and leaves over a wide area, giving rise to another chain of events. He averred that if elephants are confined to one place, nature’s linkage is broken. In this context, Dr. Das pointed to the urgent need to protect the habitat and corridors of elephants.
In a brief address, brand ambassador of Wildlife Trust of India, Ms. Dia Mirza said that the only way to involve more and more people in conservation efforts is to build a narrative of engagement. Ms. Mirza expressed the hope that ‘Gaj Mahotsav’ will provide an opportunity to conservationists, policy-makers, people and particularly children, to come together to conserve and protect wildlife and elephants, in particular.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, along with Wildlife Trust of India, kicked off the celebrations of ‘Gaj Mahotsav’ on 12.8.2018. The four-day ‘Gaj Mahotsav’ celebrations will continue till August 15, 2018. ‘Gaj Mahotsav’ celebrations will include sessions on policy, art exhibitions, film shows, music and entertainment. A special area has been earmarked on the IGNCA lawns for the display and sale of elephant-themed products and produce from various NGOs that have been invited to showcase their work. The 101 elephants displayed at IGNCA during Gaj Mahotsav symbolize the 101 elephant corridors that need to be protected.
BACKGROUND:
The objective behind celebrating the World Elephant Day every year is to focus attention of various stakeholders to support various conservation policies to help elephants, including improving enforcement policies to prevent the illegal poaching and trade of ivory, conserving elephant habitats, providing better treatment for captive elephants and reintroducing some captive elephants into sanctuaries.
Current population estimates for Asian elephants in the country, as per 2017 Census, are about 30,000. Asian elephants are confined to South Asia and South East Asia and about 60 per cent of global population of Asian elephants is found in India. As an acknowledgement of the important role played by the elephants in the social, religious and cultural life of people in India, elephants were declared as a National Heritage Animal in the year 2010.
In order to conserve the Asian Elephants the Project Elephant started in 1992, with the objectives of (i) conservation and protection of viable population of wild elephants in their natural habitats in the country; (ii) restoration of natural habitats and traditional corridors/migratory routes or movement paths used by the elephants, wherever necessary, through eco-restoration, acquisition etc; (iii) ensuring safeguards against poaching and other threats; (iv) mitigation and control of human elephant conflicts; (v) welfare and management of captive elephants; and (vi) creating a viable mechanism to ensure inter-state and regional and national level coordination in protecting and conserving the elephant and its ranges.
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TASK FORCE (2010 )
The Ministry of Environment and Forests will declare elephant as a National Heritage Animal. The Ministry will also set up National Elephant Conservation Authority to give same degree of visibility, importance and criticality as much as given to National Tiger Conservation Authority. After releasing the Report of the Elephant Task Force in 2010. In 2010 Shri Jairam Ramesh, ex-Minister of State for Environment and Forests (I/c) said we will bring a science based exercise in protecting and census of this animal. Shri Ramesh appreciated the way the Task Force has addressed the main concerns of the issue. They include elephant corridors in context of mining, power and irrigation projects, of protection of elephant corridors, elephant in captivity, institutional changes in order to put elephant conservation on high, sound footing and give same degree of visibility as Project Tiger gets.
The Minister also welcomes the suggestion to organize an International Elephant Conference in 2011. Referring to damage to crops and plantations in various states, he said the identification of high conflict areas between man and animal will help in early conflict management work. He added, “ Two agencies, Railways and Power Grid Corporation will play an important role in halting damage to elephants.”
A specialized task force was set up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests under the Chairmanship of Dr Mahesh Rangarajan to address the problems related to the Asian elephant. Presenting the Report Dr Rangarajan said the elephant must be given its due pride of place. The National Heritage Animal status would be a befitting thinng to this because it unifies both culture and ecology. Survival of animal depends on partnership with people. An education and outreach programme called ‘Gaja to Praja’ is required to educate peopleto save elephants.”
The Task Force recommends a new system of assessment at three tiers. Crisis of elephant is not a crisis of extinction but a crisis of attrition. The crisis has to be looked into the conservation of habitat. Rationalise the boundaries after proper biological assessment, prioritize corridors out of 88 cirridors, immidiate implementation in 26 corridors which has vital feasibility, 50 years Perspective Plans instead of five year management planasas this is a long lived species, inclusion of people who are knowledge bearers outside the government are few suggestions that the Task Force has made.The task force stresses that the animal should be monitored on an age-sex classification. An age-sex classification is necessary as there is a low male-female sex ratio of elephants in the wild. It also adds that reserves and corridors should be protected from developmental projects, and special attention should be paid to the conflict between humans and elephants as almost 400 people are killed protecting the cops every year from human-elephant conflict in India.
About 400 human beings are killed per year by this animal and fifty-thousand people suffer due to them. India has some 3500 animals in captivity.
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