The deaths of three persons in separate elephant attacks within a week in Gajoldoba area of Jalpaiguri district prompted the Bengal forest department to convene an emergency meeting on Sunday with various stakeholders and discuss various strategies to mitigate human-animal conflict.
Sandeep Sundriyal, the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) of Bengal, on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting with senior forest officials and representatives of the Jalpaiguri zilla parishad.
The meeting, held in Gajoldoba, was also attended by Rajganj MLA and Trinamool Congress leader Khageswar Roy.
The meeting comes after two incidents in which three people lost their lives to elephant attacks.
On May 22, Narayan Das and Tushar Das both from Takimari under Rajganj block were killed by a wild elephant. Just two days earlier, Kailash Oraon, another resident of Gajoldoba, had lost his life in a similar attack.
The back-to-back deaths had raised concerns among the people of the area. The incidents have occurred in areas on the fringes of the Baikunthapur forest division, where a herd of nearly 70 elephants are currently anchored.
“Why did the forest officials fail to stop the elephant from entering our village and causing such devastation? We are still waiting for clear answers,” said Sangram Kirtaniya, a resident of Gajoldoba.
While the families of the deceased have been provided with financial compensation, the PCCF assured villagers that concrete steps are being taken to prevent further attacks.
The forest official also visited affected areas, including Teesta Char, Gajoldoba and Takimari, on Sunday afternoon.
Officials said that the department had begun planting fodder in forest areas and setting up fencing to curb elephant movement inside human settlements.
"The forest department has begun planting banana, jackfruit and green fodder in forested areas to reduce crop-raiding. Fencing and searchlights will be installed and villagers will be equipped to help monitor herd movement,” Sundriyal said.
“There are several elephant corridors connecting Baikunthapur forest and Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary through Assam and Bhutan via the Dooars. With cultivation expanding into areas like Teesta Char, elephants are increasingly straying into farmlands for food. We are raising awareness and remaining vigilant,” he said.
Rajganj MLA Roy, who also chairs the Gajoldoba Development Authority, said Sunday's meeting was constructive. “The TMC government under chief minister Mamata Banerjee has hiked compensation amount (in case of deaths from man-animal conflict) from ₹2 lakh to ₹5 lakh,” he said.
