BHUBANESWAR: Music has always had a way to people’s hearts, be it for conveying a message or bringing them together. Considering this factor, the Keonjhar forest division, in an effort to curb the rising cases of human-elephant conflict in the region, has used a unique blend of technology and music to sensitise people on elephant behaviour and promote peaceful coexistence.
A first-of-its-kind initiative, officials of the forest division have composed a song and used artificial intelligence tools to prepare a set of easy-to-follow guidelines, in the form of an illustration book, to promote safety of both people and the gentle giants.
The campaign is part of the ongoing efforts to reduce confrontation in forest-fringe areas of Keonjhar territorial division where expanding human activity brings people in contact with the wildlife, elephants in particular.
Forest officials said when it comes to human-elephant conflict, Keonjhar is the second worst-affected area after Angul-Dhenkanal region, primarily due to increased industrial activities including mining in the recent years. Hence, using a song, a medium that connects quickly with the local communities, the forest division is hopeful of spreading crucial messages on safety of both humans and the pachyderms, that is not only engaging but also has a lasting impact on the people.
Keonjhar DFO Dhamdhere Dhanraj Hanumant said they have created a song ‘Namaskar Gajanan’, beautifully capturing the life of elephants, their behaviour and the important dos and dont’s that would help reduce human-elephant conflict. Popular Odia singers Humane Sagar and Ananya Sritam Nanda have lent their voice for the 7-minute song that has lyrics of Subrat Swain.
The video song uploaded on YouTube also contains Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s message calling for the protection of the heritage animal. To complement this, the division, using AI tools, has also prepared a set of guidelines containing simple messages with pictures providing practical steps for farmers, villagers and commuters to reduce risks of accidental encounters and conflict with the jumbos.
“We are planning to print about 5,000 mini booklets of these guidelines and distribute them among school students and in village-level meetings, primarily in forest-fringe areas and those vulnerable to conflict in the division. The soft copy of the guidelines are also being shared on social media platforms as part of the sensitisation drive,” the DFO said.
Regional chief conservator of forests (RCCF) P Ramaswamy said, “The song and illustration book are timely and powerful communication tools intended at building awareness, empathy and practical knowledge among local communities living in elephant landscapes.”