Wokha, July 22 (MExN): As part of their Awareness Campaign on Human-Animal Conflict Mitigation in the District HQs of Nagaland, the Department of Environment, Forests & Climate Change in collaboration with Fingerprint and Castle Group organised an awareness programme in Wokha Town at Town Hall on July 21. The programme was sponsored by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
The Chief Wildlife Warden of Nagaland, Satya Prakash Tripathi, IFS, gave the keynote address, where he apprised the gathering consisting of Head GBs and GBs of all the human-elephant conflict affected villages that the department has constantly been in touch with the MoEF&CC regarding the plight of the people and efforts are going on for mitigation of Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC). He stressed there is no other option but for human beings and elephants to coexist, informed a press release. In villages, suitably enriched areas should be earmarked for elephants so that the elephants do not stray into human habitation areas, he said, adding elephant-based community reserves should be seriously considered by the villagers and government alike. He further stated that it is important to have inter-departmental cooperation in trying to find mitigation solutions because the human-elephant conflict is a mammoth issue which the Forest Department alone cannot solve.
Fingerprint group gave a PowerPoint presentation regarding the richness of the state and the importance of conservation. Visual presentations were also given on dealing with HEC – preventing them from coming into the village or agricultural fields; how to raise early warning so that villagers in nearby areas know about the arrival of these giants; and what to do in situations when the villagers have to chase them away.
Steve Odyuo, Chairman of Natural Nagas, a Wokha-based NGO which is actively involved in conservation work in the district, spoke on various issues. He requested the Forest Department to look into whether it is because of various land-use changes in Wokha that the elephants all seem to be shifting to the upper range of Wokha; to determine whether it is because of the vast rubber cultivation encouraged by another Department; and also, to consider carrying out village to village sensitization so that awareness programmes would be more effective, the release added. He further requested the Forest Department to set up a Wildlife Range Office at the earliest so that a Rapid Response Team could function accordingly.
Meanwhile, Ved Pal Singh, Chief Conservator of Forests (M&E), addressed the gathering regarding the possible solutions to mitigate HEC. He also appealed to the villagers to have empathy for the animals and consider the possibility of coexistence because mitigation can never happen unless the people themselves are willing to compromise in the first place. He urged the stakeholders present to consider the undeniable fact that human beings are the only ones whose population is increasing whereas all other creatures seem to be decreasing in number or getting extinct from the face of the earth.
During the discussion hour, villagers shared their experiences and their woes to the officials present. There was collective agreement that there is an urgent need for the Government to set up a Wildlife Range Office in Wokha district so as to make it easier for the locals to seek assistance from the Department, the release stated.
