Raipur. Under the protection of Chhattisgarh Forest Department Headquarters (Wildlife), the Forest Department is deliberately providing such training in the name of reducing elephant-human conflict, which will definitely increase elephant-human conflict, which will increase human loss. Regarding this, wildlife lover Nitin Singhvi of Raipur has written a letter to the Chief Minister expressing concern.
Elephant-human conflict and human loss will increase
It is written in the letter that an expert has been called from Karnataka in Surajpur Forest Division, who is giving training to drive away elephants from the forest by making a torch by putting chilli in a jute sack and using the smoke containing chilli. There has also been talk earlier about this expert throwing big firecrackers to drive away elephants. It is natural that by making a torch and using the smoke containing chilli, elephants will be disturbed and elephant-human conflict will increase, which will increase human loss. Stalking any wild animal is a crime under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. It is being said that making torches and using chilli smoke or using ordinary torches and Halla Bol Party have been banned in Chhattisgarh since 2006.
Failed in Madhya Pradesh, Government of India has also raised objection
It has been told in the letter that this expert had used torches on two elephants that had come from Chhattisgarh to Anuppur in Madhya Pradesh in June this year. There were reports of the elephants getting disturbed by the use of the above torches wherever they went. On complaining about this to the Government of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Government of India ordered the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) of Madhya Pradesh to investigate and take action under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. When these experiments were stopped, there was peace and then these elephants returned to Chhattisgarh peacefully.
Under whose protection is the torch training being done?
Singhvi alleged that this work cannot be done without the protection of the headquarters. Since January 2023, wildlife has suffered a lot due to the indiscretion of the officials of the Wildlife Branch of the Chhattisgarh Forest Department Headquarters, who do not understand wildlife. Singhvi has also suggested setting up an Elephant Cell under the officials who understand the behavior of elephants and have an interest in wildlife. Singhvi has written that it cannot be believed that Mashal Training is taking place without the knowledge of the Headquarters (Wildlife). If this is so, then this act of the Headquarters to increase human loss by increasing human-elephant conflict should not be forgiven. If the headquarters claims that training is being given without its knowledge, then what is the need for such officers in the headquarters who do not know anything. Action has been demanded in the letter.
