Ranchi, 22 Feb : The Government of Jharkhand on Saturday acknowledged that the rising elephant-human conflict has emerged as one of the biggest concerns in the state and said it is working on a holistic strategy to address the issue.
Since January, elephant attacks have claimed over 30 lives across the state, with most cases reported from West Singhbhum, Hazaribag, Bokaro and Ramgarh.
Replying to a call attention motion moved by Congress MLA Rameshwar Oraon and Ajsu-P’s Nirmal Mahto in the Assembly, minister Sudivya Kumar admitted that the growing man-elephant conflict was a serious concern.
“The growing tussle is a concern for the government too,” Kumar said. “We have planned to form at least one quick response team (QRT) at each of the five commissionary levels to respond in times of crisis.”
He added that the government is planning to set up an Elephant Rescue Centre (ERC) in the state and bring six Kunki elephants to manage rogue elephants. “Plan is afoot to set up an Elephant Rescue Centre (ERC) in the state, and bring six Kunki elephants for the purpose of containing the rogue elephants,” he said.
The government is also drafting Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure speedy compensation within 10 days in cases of death. However, it has no immediate plans to increase the existing compensation amount of Rs 4 lakh.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the government was preparing comprehensive measures to curb wildlife-human conflicts.
“The govt is working out holistic plans to curb the growing menace of not just elephant, but wildlife vs human conflicts in totality,” Soren said, adding that studies were being undertaken to adopt best practices from other elephant-bearing states.
He also said that if illegal mining in elephant corridors is found to be contributing to the conflict, the government would take action. However, the government stated that it has no official information so far regarding such practices.
During Question Hour, Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy raised concerns about alleged illegal mining in the Damodar river in the Dhanbad-Bokaro region. The minister denied receiving any such reports but assured that the matter would be verified.
On a separate issue, the government clarified that it has no plans to raise the retirement age of government and outsourced staff from 62 to 65 years, reiterating its focus on filling vacant posts and providing employment opportunities to educated youth.
Further measures are under consideration as part of the state’s broader strategy to manage the escalating conflict.
