The government has been taking a slew of steps to protect the Elephant population in the country through encouraging reducing chances of Human Elephant Conflict, conserving their habitat and ensuring the welfare of captive elephants in the country including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha
“The Project Elephant scheme was launched by Government of India with major objectives to protect elephants, their habitat and corridors, to address issues of man-elephant conflict and welfare of captive elephants in the country including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha,” said Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey in Lok Sabha.
The Ministry provides financial and technical assistance to States/UTs under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘Project Tiger and Elephant’ for protection and conservation of the species and their habitats in the country including creation of anti-poaching Squad/camps, patrolling duties, reward to informers on information on poachers etc.
“To reduce human-elephant conflict and to avoid retaliatory killing of elephants, compensation is being provided to local communities for loss of their property and life caused by wild elephants. Various other Centrally Sponsored schemes being implemented by this Ministry contribute to the improvement in the natural habitat of elephants by augmenting water sources, planting of fodder trees, regeneration of bamboo etc,” added Choubey.
In addition the government has been working in partnership with Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) to prevent wildlife crime including poaching of elephants.
“The WCCB has developed and online Wildlife Crime Database Management System and shared user credentials with 970 Divisional Forest Offices, 50 Field Directors of Tiger Reserves and 37 Chief Wildlife Wardens in the Forest Department and 34 Director General of Police to upload data pertaining to wildlife crime detected on day to day basis,” added Choubey.
The WCCB has developed and online Wildlife Crime Database Management System and shared user credentials with 970 Divisional Forest Offices, 50 Field Directors of Tiger Reserves and 37 Chief Wildlife Wardens in the Forest Department and 34 Director General of Police to upload data pertaining to wildlife crime detected on day to day basis.
The WCCB has also conducted special pan India enforcement operation to coordinate action among State/Central enforcement agencies. Ivory seizures have been effected in the “Operation WILDNET-I, II, III and IV”.
Moreover, WCCB participated in global operations such as operation Thunderbird envisaged by INTERPOL’s Wildlife Working Group, Operation THUNDERSTORM, Operation THUNDERBALL and Operation Thunder 2021, which resulted in the arrest of may criminal and seizers.
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