Bhubaneswar, April 9: The man-elephant conflict continues to grow even as the Odisha government has planned nine more elephant corridors in the state.

These will be in addition to the 14 corridors proposed earlier. Of the new nine proposed elephant corridors, five will be in Dhenkanal and four in Cuttack district.

The statistics available up to February end give a clear indication of the increase in the man-elephant conflict.

During the year 2011-12 (till February 29), 61 human casualties have been recorded though the average figure of human death was 57 in seven years from the time period 2005-05 to 2010-11. Similarly, the average figure of crop damage during these seven years was 7,341 acres where as the data shows that crop loss during the year 2011-12 has increased to 10,942 acres.

The state government had earlier decided to come up with 14 elephant corridors in the state, which includes Similipal-Hadgarh-Kuldiha as an elephant reserve. Though the identification process is over the government is yet to notify the corridors where as the public consultation process is under progress in case of the elephant reserve. The proposed 14 corridors will come up at a cost of Rs 55.22 crores.

“The government must take measure to stop the practice of “ Akhand Sikar” which has been on a rise along with corridor planning. Only planning of new corridors could not solve the problem of man elephant conflict,” said Sudhakar Mohapatra, retired chief conservator of forest.

Only human beings are not the only ones at the receiving end of this conflict. The jumbo population is facing the ire of human beings. Statistics show that 57 elephant deaths have been reported between 2011-12. While only 9 deaths happened because of natural reason, 16 deaths have been caused because of electrocution. Sources said though 81 per cent of elephants live in and around 12 sanctuaries of the state, the remaining 19 per cent are the trouble mongers as elephants are entering human habitat because of rapid depletion. According to the 2010 census, 1,886 elephants live in 28 districts of Odisha.

Earlier the state government had raised the compensation for human death because of man elephant conflict from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. Similarly, the government had raised the compensation money five times for crop loss. At present, a sum of Rs 1,000 is given per acre loss of paddy or cereal damage, whereas Rs 10,000 is given for one-acre loss of vegetable and cash crop.

Despite the governments elephant management plan taken up since 2009-10, the man elephant conflict is on a rise. Last year the government had decided to create 98 water bodies along with solar fences were drawn over a length of 80km to protect the elephants.

However, principal chief conservator of forest, P N Padhi said that the government is looking forward for a long-term strategy plan to save the elephants. The proposed 14 corridors will soon come in to action with the government taking all the measures to prevent the jumbos form entering in to human habitat,” said Padhi.