The reasons for man-elephant conflict are many, including the presence of weeds and shrinking forest boundaries. The list could include highly palatable food crops grown on forest fringes, which are like rasagullas for elephants, while the fodder inside is like ragi mudde, said Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Head of Forest Force (HOFF), Meenakshi Negi. In an interaction with The New Indian Express, she spoke about her journey and challenges ahead as the head of the state forest force.
Tell us about your journey. You are the second woman in India to be the HOFF, after Maharashtra, and the first ever in Karnataka.
I am from Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. After getting selected to the Karnataka cadre, I joined the state in December 1992. I worked in Karnataka till August 2007. Till 2015, I was posted to the Ministry of Ayush with the Government of India. From 2015-23, I was posted in various departments in the Karnataka forest department, and from 2023 till recently I was posted in Delhi before I came back, when I was selected as HOFF in Karnataka.
Was gender a concern when you joined the forest service?
Entry of women into the Indian Forest Service started in 1980s. I am from the 1989 batch. Prior to me were two women officers. I was the third or fourth woman officer to join the state. Sometimes situations were comical back then. We joined as young girls and the established forest bureaucracy did not know how to treat us, or where to post us. Whether we will be able to go on night patrol, climb mountains, go into forests and face wildlife. There was a lot of hesitation and uncertainty among them. Slowly people accepted us and we made a place for ourselves. They understood that when women get into a job they bring their own, yet different, perspective. Today we are getting more women in the force.
What attracted you to the Forest department?
I had studied Zoology. My maternal grandfather was in the Forest department in the administration section. He pushed me into it. I was qualified for forest and other civil services, and I chose forest.
How many hectares of forest land are vulnerable to fire?
Determining the exact number of hectares of fire-prone land is difficult, but drier regions and transition belts are particularly vulnerable. While fire is a natural process that helps stronger vegetation thrive, increasing human pressure — due to development, population growth and forest fragmentation — has made fires more frequent and destructive. Most fires are human-induced, either accidentally or deliberately.
How can exploitation of medicinal plants and minor forest produce be controlled?
Medicinal plant conservation is a complex issue involving both scientific and social aspects. Ayurveda and traditional systems rely on classical formulations where only designated plant parts are used. Currently, over 80% of medicinal plants are sourced from forests. Despite the government’s efforts to promote cultivation, large-scale extraction continues. Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) are responsible for oversight but lack capacity. With hundreds of species being exploited, strengthening BMCs and training local authorities is crucial for sustainable harvesting and conservation.
What is the success rate of afforestation programme?
Studies show it is around 72%. We are doing away with exotic species like eucalyptus and acacia and replacing them with indigenous species. This is also one of the ways to keep elephants within forests. The nature of forests cannot be changed by growing sugarcane or banana inside. We go for species that always existed in forests like bamboo, kada mavu (forest mango), jackfruit etc.
Do weeds pose problems to forests?
They do. They are widely seen in Bandipur and Nagarahole and other forest patches. Uprooting lantana is a big problem as once we uproot, it grows back. It has to be continuously uprooted for four or five years to get completely rid of it. We cannot leave forest land empty as the soil gets washed away. We have to plant some type of grasses. With the limited resources we have, we are doing our best to keep weeds away.
What about involving the local communities?
We are roping in local communities to make products out of weeds, and give them livelihood. This kind of model is sustainable and drives the economy. We need trained labour and a market but at the same time the products have to be of good quality. They have to get an assured market, like for instance, directing all government offices to get dustbins made out of the weeds.
How is ISRO’s technology helping forest department?
It helps us in a big way. With the help of satellite images, we can pinpoint trees and even know if a tree is missing. We have satellite images from 1990s. We can look at how forest land is changing, year on year, or even on monthly basis. This helps in guarding forest boundaries. Going forward as technology improves, we will have species-wise information. We need to improve in tracking medical herbs, as they are endangered.
Should Karnataka’s sandalwood tree be geo-tagged ?
Karnataka is a blessed land where sandalwood trees grow like weeds. We need not geo-tag all sandalwood trees in Karnataka, as the state government deregulated sandalwood trees, relaxing felling permission.
Cases of man-elephant conflict is rising. What are the reasons and what is being done to control it?
Elephant population is increasing. With over 6,500 elephants, Karnataka is leading in elephant numbers. Some reports suggest that elephants are venturing out of forests due to a lack of food and water, but there are many other factors. For example, for elephants, fodder in forests is like ragi mudde (finger millet balls). Outside they find highly palatable crops like sugarcane, paddy and maize — which are like rasagulla for them. Naturally, they prefer these. Thus, a multi-pronged strategy is necessary to manage things. Simply restricting their movement is not enough. Karnataka is pioneering in elephant conservation by installing rail barricades.
What about farmers growing alternative crops?
They need to be encouraged to grow alternative crops. In some areas on the boundaries of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, farmers have started cultivating chia seeds. Elephants do not like these crops and tend to avoid them. Chia seeds require less water and are economically beneficial for farmers. Recently, the forest minister and department officials visited Hassan to meet families affected by elephant attacks. Many solutions were discussed in areas like Belur and Sakleshpur, including selling land to the government to create wildlife corridors that connect fragmented forest areas.
What is the status of poaching in Karnataka?
Poaching incidents have significantly declined in Karnataka. While poaching of large animals has decreased, illegal hunting for bushmeat remains a concern. Continuous monitoring and ground-level enforcement are necessary to tackle this issue. The department is using drone surveillance and satellite imagery.
What is the extent of encroachment of forest land in Karnataka?
It is difficult to say how much land is encroached. Some of the land was granted to people. There is also out and out encroachment, like if a grant is two acres, people take five acres. As per the Supreme Court, encroachment prior to 1978 must be identified. Encroachment should be cleared and we are looking into all these issues.
How is the forest department getting tech upgraded?
The department has collaborated with the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Agency. The department has its own ICT lab at Aranya Bhavan to monitor satellite images, including GIS- based tracking of forest land and wildlife movement. There is also an alert system for farmers and those in coffee estates, where alerts on elephant movement are sent through text messages.
What was your role as you were in the National Commission for Women?
I was member secretary of the National Commission For Women for two years. We did several things, we basically looked at women’s grievances. We did seminars and rehab work. Since I am a forester, when I was in Maharashtra during an interaction, a woman from an NGO in Maharashtra, who was working on water hyacinth, said she suffered labour shortage. We said we would help and involved women prisoners. We started similar programmes in Bhopal and Nagpur prisons. The prisoners were trained and business was successful. Here she got productive disciplined labour. Women prisoners were happy doing worthwhile work and getting money for it in their bank accounts.
Will you involve prisoners in deweeding lantana?
I have visited prisons in many states from NCW, including Bengaluru Central Prison. Now I will talk to the Prisons department and rope in Soliga communities working in BRT Tiger Reserve.
Tribal relocation is a major concern. How is the department looking at it?
There are two or three things. One is people voluntarily coming out like what is happening in Kali Tiger Reserve. There are areas where people are not willing to go out but programmes can be intensified with better package options. The third is the moment the government buys land, prices rise and people don’t sell. People can’t be forced to come out. Voluntary relocation in Karnataka has been a case study by itself and I am going to publish a paper on it.
What about coffee plantations?
In coffee plantations, they don’t want to move out as it is a livelihood for them. But for an elephant, it is a forest. Historically, forests were given to people for growing coffee. Over a period of time, there is a bit of blurring of boundaries.
What is the forest department doing to inspire young minds in forest conservation?
There is a programme for children called Chinnara Vana Darshana. We take them on forest trips and tell them about forest activities. There is a YouTube programme called Hasiru Honnu. As children already have enough to study, rather than putting it into a curriculum, it has to be an activity. We should be doing things which children can see. Every family has a car and that is what children are looking at. They are exposed to consumerism and if we expect them to become environmentalists by reading books, it is not going to happen.
You worked with Ayush in Karnataka during the pandemic and have expertise in medicinal plants. How did this knowledge contribute to Covid-19 management?
During my deputation in the Ministry of Health, I handled Ayush education, drug regulation, and awareness. Upon returning to Karnataka, I was appointed Commissioner, Ayush, serving for nearly three years, including during the pandemic. With a shortage of medical resources, we converted Ayurvedic hospitals into Covid care centres for mild cases. To manage rising numbers, we launched the Aapta Mitra helpline, a PPP model where companies provided call centres and free food. Ayurveda and Homeopathy students manned the helpline, triaging cases and directing care. We also distributed immunity boosters through Ayush hospitals.