Preserving natural habitats for elephants also reduces human-elephant conflicts: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, Aug 12: Preserving the natural habitats for the elephants will reduce the human-elephant conflicts that we are witnessing at an alarmingly high rate, said Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday.
He was speaking after inaugurating an international conference that coincides with World Elephant Day.
The two-day conference on human-elephant conflict management, which aims to tackle the increased human-elephant conflicts, was organised by the Karnataka Forest department.
The conference will see forest department officials from across India sharing knowledge with academic researchers and civil society organisations to bring about evidence-based inclusive approaches to human-elephant conflict solutions.
At the inaugural event, Siddaramaiah said Karnataka in particular is susceptible to increased human-elephant conflicts as the state has the highest elephant population with 6,395 elephants, which makes approximately 25 per cent of the nation's total elephant population.
“With Karnataka's significant elephant population comes the inevitable challenge of human-elephant conflict. In the last 10 years, the state reported over 2,500 incidents of human-elephant conflicts, resulting in over 350 human fatalities and substantial crop losses,” said the CM.
According to him, the conference is a critical platform where to exchange ideas, explore scientific solutions, and foster international collaboration to address the problem.
“As climate change raises temperatures and changes rainfall patterns, resources become even more scarce and elephants get pushed into new areas, including communal lands. Humans face their own challenges as they must move deeper into elephant territory to collect water or firewood,” said Siddaramaiah.
Therefore, he said this is a challenge with significant ecological, social, and economic implications.
In that context, he said the international conference presents an invaluable opportunity to learn from one another, explore innovative scientific solutions, and discuss sustainable approaches to fostering coexistence between humans and elephants.
“I am confident that the distinguished delegates present here will contribute valuable insights and recommendations to pave the way for a harmonious coexistence between humans and elephants,” he added.
Eshwar B Khandre, Karnataka’s Forest, Ecology & Environment Minister who was also present for the inaugural session on Monday, reiterated that the conference is an attempt towards developing a robust mechanism to address the pressing issue of human-elephant conflict.
“When the idea of the conference was initially floated to me, I was very intrigued by it. I was excited by the prospect that we'll have a chance to come across so many new ideas and setups, which can open up a whole lot of possibilities for us with regards to the conservation of elephants,” added the minister.
The other dignitaries present include Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Manjunath Prasad V, additional chief secretary, department of Forest, Ecology and Environment, Government of Karnataka, Brijesh Kumar Dikshit, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Subhash K Malkhede, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Karnataka Forest Department.
"ಮಾನವ-ಆನೆ ಸಂಘರ್ಷ ನಿರ್ವಹಣೆ ಕುರಿತ ಅಂತಾರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಸಮ್ಮೇಳನ"ದ ಉದ್ಘಾಟನೆ#WorldElephantDay2024 pic.twitter.com/XjqTDakr5V
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) August 12, 2024
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Rahul Gandhi to go on two-day Raebareli visit from May 19
Raebareli (UP) (PTI): Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP from Raebareli Rahul Gandhi will arrive here on May 19 on a two-day visit, a Congress office-bearer said on Monday.
Congress district president of Raebareli Pankaj Tiwari said that on the first day, Gandhi will inaugurate a marriage hall at Thakurain Kheda in Bachhrawan. Subsequently, he will address a public meeting in Khiron. In Lalganj, he will participate in a 'mahila samvaad' programme.
He further said that on May 20, he will meet the public during a 'Janata Darshan' programme at the Bhuyemau Guest House. Following this, he will participate in the unveiling of a statue of Veera Pasi and attend a public meeting in Lodhwari.
He will then depart for Amethi.
In Amethi, Gandhi will hold meetings with party functionaries, workers and senior leaders at the party's district headquarters, Congress district unit chief Pradeep Singhal said on Sunday.
According to political observers, this meeting would form a part of the strategic preparations for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, alongside an organisational review.
Discussions during the meeting are likely to focus on strengthening the party organisation down to the booth level, increasing participation of youth and women workers, and accelerating public outreach campaigns across villages.
According to sources, a large number of party workers -- from Gram Sabha to the district level -- have been invited to attend the meeting.
Gandhi is expected to interact directly with workers.
During the one-day visit, the Congress leader will also travel to Poore Ramdeen Pandit -- the native village of late Congress district president Yogendra Mishra -- to meet his family members.
Mishra, considered a close associate of the Gandhi family, passed away on March 1 following a prolonged illness.
Political activities in the district have intensified ahead of Gandhi's visit, and party workers have already started making arrangements for his reception.
Kishori Lal Sharma, the Congress MP from Amethi, is also holding regular meetings with local leaders and functionaries to review the preparations.
