Task Force, Radio Tracking, Long-Term Plan: Madhya Pradesh CM's Strategy To Prevent Elephant Deaths

Four wild elephants were found dead in the Sankhani and Bakeli areas within the Khalil range of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Umaria district on October 29.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav emphasised on Sunday to establish an elephant task force, implement radio tracking, and devise a comprehensive plan in collaboration with experts to prevent elephant fatalities and human-elephant conflicts.

Four wild elephants were found dead in the Sankhani and Bakeli areas within the Khalil range of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Umaria district on October 29. Another four died on October 30, followed by two more on October 31. In addition, an elephant attack on Saturday resulted in two deaths and one injury.

"The elephants coming from other states, including Chhattisgarh, are not turning back due to the good environs and management of our parks. They have become an integral part of MP forest activities. Keeping this in mind, we have to look for a lasting plan for them," Yadav told PTI.

"We have decided to form an elephant task force to safely accommodate them. We will come up with a long-term plan comprising the best practices of other states, including Karnataka, Kerala and Assam that have huge jumbo populations. We are going to send our officers to these states," he also said.

Multiple Measures Are Being Explored To Prevent Future Incidents: CM Mohan Yadav 

Talking about the installation of solar fencing to prohibit elephants from destroying crops, he said, "In order to avoid man-animal conflicts, solar fencing will be installed around agriculture farms. This is so that the elephants do not destroy crops."

"The state government has decided to employ radio (collar) tracking of lone elephants that do not move in herds. This will ensure there is no repeat (of Saturday's incident in which two persons were killed by an aggressive tusker)," he added.

Yadav stated that multiple measures are being explored to prevent future incidents of elephant deaths and human conflicts. "We are going to seek the advice of wildlife experts for this," the CM said.

Earlier that day, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve director Gaurav Choudhary and assistant conservator of forests Fateh Singh Ninama were put under suspension in connection with the death of the 10 elephants.

Based on the report of a panel that consists of MP junior forest minister, Pradeep Ahirwar, additional chief secretary, Ashok Baranwal, and head of Forest Force, Aseem Shrivastava, two were suspended.