BHUBANESWAR: In a significant move to address the rising human-elephant conflict in Odisha, the state government has decided to stratify forest beats based on the quality of their habitats. The initiative aims at targeted conservation and effective wildlife management.
The exercise is part of the Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP) 2022 of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department, which focuses on mitigating conflict and promoting coexistence between humans and elephants.
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How stratification will work
According to Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Manoj V Nair, forest beats will be assessed and categorised as good, medium, or poor elephant habitats. The classification will be based on:
- Forage, water availability, and cover
- Levels of human disturbance
- Elephant population within the beat
- Volume of crop depredation
- Human deaths caused by conflict
Beats that are completely intact elephant habitats will also be identified for stricter protection.
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Habitat improvement measures in Odisha
Nair highlighted that Odisha has already launched several initiatives to improve elephant habitats, including:
- Fodder and fruit-bearing plantations under various schemes
- Restoration of mining areas with a focus on wildlife-friendly landscapes
- Bamboo seedball plantation to enhance food availability
- A proposed five-year action plan for weed eradication to restore native grasses, shrubs, and fodder trees
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These steps aim to reduce habitat degradation and minimise retaliatory killings of elephants, particularly in conflict-prone areas such as Angul circle, where several casualties have been reported in recent years.
Why it matters
Experts say that escalating human-elephant conflict in Odisha is primarily driven by loss of critical habitats, pressure from forest-dependent communities, and mining activities with related infrastructure. Stratification of forest beats is expected to enable better deployment of forest manpower and more focused conservation strategies.
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