A jumbo conflict on India-Nepal border
fore. And villagers who are mostly engaged in farming are spending sleepless nights not knowing how to tackle this problem. Elephants are targeting houses, property is being damaged, farms are being destroyed, even livestock is getting injured. Threat of loss of human lives is also looming large,” he explains.
Hundreds of elephants migrate from the forests of Assam and West Bengal into Nepal through the India-Nepal border every year and destroy crops in border villages on both sides. The animals follow a traditional corridor to reach places like Bahundangi in eastern Nepal under Jhapa district after crossing the forests of Sukna and Panighata in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. With this elephant corridor now being blocked and Nepal planning to extend the fencing further, the elephants are turning hostile and the cascading effect is being felt in settlements and bastis along the border on Indian soil, especially in the Panighata range.
Range Officer of Bagdogra Elephant Squad, Premba Sherpa says squads are on the job 24*7 to keep an eye on elephant movements. “The situation is grave. Since the traditional elephant corridor has been blocked, the pachyderms are changing course in search of food. The smell of maize is drawing them in hordes, at times even far away from forests. Recently an elephant strayed into Siliguri town and
THE ELEPHANT CORRIDOR
Right of Passage, a 2005 study published by Wildlife Trust of India identified this corridor as the Mahananda-Kolabari elephant corridor. The study had clearly observed that severe fragmentation and degradation of forest in Tukriajhar and along the Mechi river has made this habitat unsuitable for the long-term survival of elephants and has increased conflict. The corridor is used regularly by elephants, both by bulls and herds during maize (May to July) and paddy (October to February) seasons. triggered massive panic. Our effort is to minimise any manelephant conflict and try and push them to safer zones. If this situation continues, we fear casualties as well,” he observes.
At the Tukiarjhar Forest Range Office, Range Officer Suresh Narjinary, is busy scrutinising the compensation claim forms pouring in by the day. “There are reports of elephant attacks every now and then. In this part at least, we had never heard of jumbo attacks, but this year the scene is different. And the Nepal fencing is to be blamed. Crops are being damaged and villagers are coming to us seeking immediate compensation. Since the compensation cheques come from the treasury, it is becoming difficult to explain to them the reason for the delay. We understand their plight as well since it impacts their life and livelihood directly,” he says.
Wildlife activists explain the economics of crop damage. “One acre of land or three bighas under cultivation fetches anything between Rs 40,00050,000 from the market when the produce, particularly maize, is sold. The compensation offered by the Forest Department is just about Rs 1,500 per acre. Though the Forest Department tries to be sympathetic, the fact is this can never make up for the financial loss a family suffers on account of elephant attacks,” reasons Sarkar.
“In the past 15 years, at least 20 elephants have died inside Nepal and over 50 have been killed on both sides of the internal border. Villagers in Nepal have often resorted to firing and poisoning of elephants also. And now comes this fence, which has put a permanent obstruction in the traditional elephant cor-
THE ENERGISED FENCE
The fence put up by Nepal leans outwards. The base of the post is embedded deep in the soil and it is virtually impossible for elephants to reach it even with their trunks, let along uproot it. Because of the unique design, jumbos cannot kick the posts either or cause damage. The posts are insulated with galvanised iron pipes. ridor. We have brought it to the notice of state government and even tried establishing contact with a few organisations working across the border to make them understand the gravity of the situation,” rues wildlife conservationist Animesh Basu. Waking up to the threat, the West Bengal government, meanwhile has already written to the Centre in this regard, requesting that the matter be taken up with Nepal at the earliest. Forest Minister Binay Krishna Barman has recently held a meeting with
MAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT IN TERAI: HUMAN DEATH TOLL
2015-16 : 15 forest officials at Sukna in Darjeeling and expressed concern at the ground situation. The Nepal government has, however, maintained that all international guidelines were followed while erecting the fence, constructed approximately at a cost of Rs 8 million in Indian currency.