Government takes up measures to resolve man-animal conflict

A CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG, March 19: Tura South legislator John Leslee K Sangma today said that an elephant corridor in the Tura, West Garo Hill district has been affected by the construction of the NEHU Campus, Tura. “On quite a few occasions NEHU students have faced dangers when elephants tried to attack them,” Sangma informed the house during the Question Hour today. The Tura South legislator said that due to this NEHU authorities had to put up electric fencing. Earlier, NPP legislator James K Sangma suggested the government to set up elephant corridors to reduce man-animal conflict. Meanwhile, Forest and Environment Minister, Prestone Tynsong said that elephant corridors in the state have already been identified and the survey was done by the state’s Forest department. Sangma also urged the government to conduct the census of elephants in the state since the last survey was done in 2008 and its population may have come down. Tynsong informed the house that as per the 2008 census the number of elephants in the state is 1,811. Earlier, in his reply, Tynsong informed that the total forest cover for the state for the years 2011 and 2013 stood at 17, 275 sq.km and 17, 288 sq.km respectively. The state Forest and Environment Minister informed that the Forest Survey of India assesses forest cover of the country in biennial cycle (once in two years). Tynsong also informed the house that the pending ex-gratia payment stood at Rs 2, 46, 8233.