A Jumbo Problem for Assam

The alarming surge in fatalities of both humans and elephants in Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) in Assam raises questions on the effectiveness of mitigation measures. Fragmentation of elephant corridors, the presence of 18.5% elephant populations outside the elephant reserves, and the presence of sizable elephants in revenue areas are some of the key factors behind the worsening HEC situation in the state. Without landscape-level mitigation, there is no likelihood of an immediate easing of the conflict situation. The worsening conflict situation cannot be measured by a mere statistical account of lives lost, property and crop damage; the irreversible biodiversity loss signalled by it is also an alarm bell on the resilience of the region against worsening climate change impact. The state accounts for nearly 56% of Asian elephants found in the northeast region, which is indicative of the scale and magnitude of the problem when their habitat gets fragmented due to linear infrastructure development, encroachment of forest areas and blocking of elephant corridors due to expansion of railway lines, highways and human settlements along their pathways. Being a long-ranging animal, conservation of elephant corridors is vital to facilitate movement of elephants from one habitat to another. The tragic death of seven elephants in an incident of train-hit last Saturday when a herd of around 150 elephants were crossing the railway line in a village in the Kampur subdivision in the Nagaon district put the spotlight on mitigation strategy to prevent elephant-train collisions. The ‘Suggested Measures to Mitigate Asian Elephant-Train Collisions on Vulnerable Railway Stretches in the State of Assam’, published by the Project Elephant Division, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Wildlife Institute of India, lists a set of general recommendations for all sites. These include the installation of Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS)-based Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) on all sensitive stretches on priority and all level crossings and ramps incorporating the DAS-IDS system; erection of signboards on the sensitive stretches to alert loco pilots, along with indications of specific wildlife-crossing zones; scheduling goods trains for the daytime as much as possible or during the time period when the activity of the wildlife species, especially elephants, is at its minimum; regular clearing of vegetation till at least 30 metres on either side of the railway tracks to increase visibility for both loco pilots and elephants; joint patrolling by the Railway and Forest departments on the track of elephant presence, coordination and information sharing, and regular cleaning of railway tracks: regular sensitisation workshops for railway staff, especially loco pilots and ground staff; taking adequate measures (insulation and proofing of all electric infrastructure) to avoid incidents of electrocution of wildlife because of the railway electric infrastructure; and building concrete barrier poles and/or other barriers on ramps constructed for wildlife, with the barriers high enough to block passage of two- and three-wheelers but low enough to allow elephants to pass to discourage use of wildlife-friendly ramps and level crossings by people and vehicles. Implementation of these recommendations is vital to prevent elephant-train collisions in the state, as there are more than 100 stretches of railway lines cutting through elephant reserves and areas outside these reserves in the state. Regular and frequent review of the implementation status is crucial to ensure that there is no laxity in monitoring and coordination. People in villages near the railway line elephant pathway intersections can play a crucial role in alerting the Forest and Railway departments when elephant herds enter their paddy fields, raid standing crops and cross the railway line to go to the other side on their natural route. With economic activities gaining momentum in the state, frequency of train movement has also increased. People living in HEC hotspot areas adopting various means, such as the erection of solar-powered fences and bio-fences, besides chasing elephant herds, has led to elephants exploring alternative passages to ranges. New stretches of railway lines, therefore, are witnessing elephant crossings which need to be updated dynamically for prompt implementation of the recommendations for mitigation on these stretches. Protecting crops from elephant raiding and expeditious and adequate payment of compensation to farmers whose standing crop is destroyed is essential to prevent escalation in HEC and secure cooperation of affected people for successful implementation of the mitigation measures. The Centrally Sponsored Schemes of ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats’, ‘Project Tiger’ and ‘Project Elephant’ include compensation for depredation by wild animals, including crop damage, loss of life and property. These schemes also support the construction of physical barriers, such as barbed wire fences, solar-powered electric fences, bio-fencing using cactus, boundary walls, etc., to prevent the entry of wild animals into crop fields. The pragmatic solution to reduce HEC, however, lies in integrating all new projects of linear infrastructure development and retrofitting mitigation measures for existing infrastructure at the landscape level to prevent fragmentation of elephant habitat from becoming a jumbo problem.