RANCHI: Expressing deep concern over the rising human-elephant conflict, which caused over 27 human deaths in the last few months in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren has issued strict instructions to prevent elephant attacks at all costs and protect the lives and property of people.
Soren also urged forest officials to ensure that no human deaths take place due to elephant attacks.
Holding a high-level meeting with senior officials of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department at his residence late in the evening on Saturday, the Chief Minister issued instructions to curb fatalities caused by elephant attacks in Jharkhand.
Soren directed officials to take immediate and effective measures for rescue and protection in affected areas where elephants are causing damage to life and property. Recent reports indicate that around 27 people have died in the past few months in areas including Ramgarh, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, West and East Singhbhum, Lohardaga, Gumla, and Dumka.
The Chief Minister also directed the officials to prepare elephant rescue teams by providing special technical training to villagers in areas where elephants are causing damage to life and property. “No death due to elephant attacks should take place from now onwards,” said Soren, calling for immediate preventive steps in districts facing repeated incidents.
Villagers should be provided with diesel and kerosene oil for lighting torches, old tyres, flashlights, solar sirens, etc., to help them drive away elephants. Further, the forest department should establish better coordination with the villagers in the affected areas and implement awareness campaigns and necessary safety measures.
Soren instructed officials to strengthen tracking and monitoring systems for elephant movement.
On compensation, Soren ordered that financial relief for loss of life or property be disbursed within 12 days of an incident. Officials were also asked to provide detailed data on casualties and compensation over the past five years and to map elephant corridors to address conflict zones more effectively.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment, Soren said that timely relief, preventive planning, and stronger coordination are vital to reducing human-elephant conflict in Jharkhand.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister also asked for detailed information about elephant attacks that have occurred in the past few months. He also asked why the Forest Department failed so far to develop a better mechanism to protect villagers from these elephants.
The department informed Soren that six trained ‘Kunki’ elephants are being arranged to assist in monitoring and rescue operations, and a rapid response mechanism is being developed with expert support. In sensitive zones such as Hazaribagh, special teams have already been deployed to manage aggressive herds.
Meanwhile, forest officials informed the Chief Minister that a herd of five elephants is presently roaming in the Hazaribagh area, which is quite aggressive. They informed him that a team of 70 people has been deployed by the department to prevent these elephant attacks. “The Forest Department is on alert in view of the elephant activities,” officials told the Chief Minister.
