BENGALURU: While India houses the highest population of Asiatic elephants, the shortage of fodder, water and forest fragmentation are among the prime reasons why they wander out of their habitat. The cultivation of delicious food by farmers like banana, paddy, sugarcane and maize in the forest periphery, too, are a big draw. Add to that the presence of breweries, distilleries and even liquor sales counters in the border areas of forests. They are a significant trigger for the increase in man-elephant conflicts.
The issue of intoxicants figured in a meeting of southern states held in Bengaluru on August 12, on the occasion of World Elephant Day. Forest department officials from Odisha shared the concern, saying elephants are getting attracted to mahua.
The 2022-23 elephant census report showed that India houses over 30,000 elephants, spread across 1,10,000 sq km. At 6,049, their highest population is in Karnataka, followed by Assam at 5,719, Kerala 3,054, Tamil Nadu 2 761 and Odisha 1,976. In 2023, Andhra Pradesh had around 100, which in 2024 increased to 142. There are 33 elephant reserves in India, spanning 65,000 sq km. Of this, the southern states have Dandeli, Mysuru, Wayanad, Nilambur, Anamudi, Periyar, Agasthiyamalai, Srivilliputhur, Anamalai, Coimbatore, Raya and Nilgiri elephant reserves.
The meeting decided on a 13-point charter, called the Bengaluru Charter, for all the states to sign and submit to the Central government for implementation. But the charter does not include addressing the presence of distilleries, breweries and liquor sales counters. However, the subject was discussed during the meeting with farmers. It was decided that each state will work at it independently towards taking up a survey and arriving at a policy decision on the matter. “Sales and brewing of liquor should not be allowed 10 km near forest areas,” was agreed upon. It was also decided to involve all stakeholders in addressing the issue in their respective states, as it is also leading to human casualties.
A senior forest department official from Karnataka said: “Distilleries — legal or illegal — are a concern. It is a known fact that elephants are attracted to liquor. Hooch, arrack and mahua are just some names. There have been instances where excise departments, panchayats and even forest department staffers have not been aware of the brewing of illicit liquor, but elephants have smelt it and raided the village, drinking up liquor stored in underground tanks and getting into conflict after that. Such things need to be checked.”
In the case of Tamil Nadu, the concern is of the sales of liquor. “The stretch from Hosur to Kanniyakumari needs to be surveyed to address the sales of liquor. The subject has been flagged to the concerned departments. The concern is not just limited to one state, but to the entire country. We do not want people to buy/ consume liquor and then walk home because inebriated people do not realise they are getting in close proximity to elephant areas and land up in conflict with them, leading to even deaths,” said the senior forest department official.
Given the revenue liquor brings to the exchequer, the matter should be dealt with very delicately, an official from Odisha said. “First the illegal ones need to be closed down. In some incidents, it has also been noticed that people coming in conflict were in an inebriated condition. Thus, this is not an issue to be addressed by just one department. All stakeholders should be collectively involved.”
Officials from Kerala concurred, but cautioned that it is a Herculean task as many income groups would be affected, more so the labour class and the lower income groups working in estates, fields and even in forest lands.
Experts, however, point out that it is easier said than done. “A collective approach is needed in tackling this issue as many industries and sectors are involved. The concern of each state should be looked at individually as the livelihoods of people and an entire economic cycle will need to be addressed. It can, however, start with the elephant corridors and forest boundaries. A start can be made in states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka where courts have given directions to strengthen elephant corridors. But every step needs to be taken with caution as human-wildlife conflict has started to take an ugly turn in recent times with deaths on both sides on the rise. The help of NGOs and local activists can be taken,” said a farmer expert.
10 km gap between forests and brewing sites
“Sales and brewing of liquor should not be allowed 10 km near forest areas,” was agreed upon, officials said. It was also decided to involve all stakeholders in addressing the issue in their respective states, as it is also leading to human casualties