Mukt Shabd Journal Issn No : 2347-3150

Pattern of Human –Elephant conflict: A case study of North Forest Division,

West Bengal,

Jhantu Mondal

Assistant Professor of Geography

Dr. B.N.D.S Mahavidyalaya, Hatgobindapur

Burdwan- 713407

West Bengal, India

Email: [email protected]

Abstract: Human-elephant conflict is the negative interaction between people and elephant for sharing common resources such as food and shelter. Continuous forest degradation in the Jharkhand and Orissa region due to mining activities, elephants are losing their prime habitat. Elephants are now migrating to newer places in search of food and shelter. In the year 1987, elephants herd from dalma region first entered into the Mednipur district. There after elephants herd started to migrate in the and eventually entered into the Bankura north forest division. Now a day elephant herd are residing here permanently as residential elephant which increases the elephant depredation scenario many folds. Crop damage, hut damage, human injury and human causalities are very common things faced by the local people of this region. Forest department provide ex-gratia payment as compensation which is much less than the market price. The major findings of the paper showed that , and range are most vulnerable to elephant depredation in comparison to other ranges of Bankura north forest division. Elephant depredation mainly takes place in the night time and the working male persons were more attacked by elephants. Human-elephant conflict intensity also decreases with the increasing distance from forest. Perception survey rated early warning system and compensation scheme as effective mitigation strategy to reduce the conflict. Key words: Human-elephant conflict, Crop damage, Human causalities, Effective mitigation

Introduction Human- elephant conflict is a Key Example for the growing competition between people & wildlife for space & resources throughout Africa & Asia (Di Fonzo, 2007). In the remote past hunting of wild animal for his food, clothing, or killing trespasses in the forest generally by the old or injured wild animal was never thought of man-animal conflict at that time, rather as pray predator relations (Das T and Guha I, 2003). The local religious beliefs,Taboos and

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culture in many cases prevent Indians from either protecting or harming elephants, but continuous problems eventually change the local attitudes and the Conflict increases in many forest fringe villages (Chatterjee N.D, 2016). Continuous clearance of forest for mining activities has shortened the habitat of the wild elephants. As human population encroaches upon natural habitat, animals find themselves in competition with people for space & resources (Pimm et.al1995, Blamford et.al2001). In earlier time elephant herds entered into Bankura north forest division in the month of July- August which mark the sowing period of Aman paddy. Elephants herd normally returned to Dalma region in the month of November- December when the harvesting season is over. Now the elephant herds are remaining here throughout the year as residential elephants which increases the Human-elephant conflict scenario. Objectives The main objectives of this study are i)To trace the pattern of Human-elephant conflict ii)To evaluate the economic and social loss due to Human-elephant conflict iii)To review different mitigation techniques for successful mitigation of HEC

Materials and Methods Three ranges in Bankura north forest division, namely Barjora, Beliatore and Sonamukhi has been chosen for perception survey. The selected beat for survey are Barjora, Shitla, Sangrampur, Hamirhati, Sonamukhi, Manikbazar, Indkata and Beliatore. The total no of household survey are 230 (N=230). Secondary data related to crop damage, hut damage, human injury and human causalities has been collected from Bankura north division forest office. Based on this data some cartographic maps has been repapered using Arc Gis 10.1 version software.

Results and Discussion Elephant depredation in bankura North forest division Elephant herd started to visit Bankura north forest division on a regular basis. From 2000 onwards HEC intensity continuously increasing in this region.In 2002-03 total compensation spent due to elephant depredation was 14.54 lakh which increases to 115.72 lakh in 2013-14. Average no of human death due to elephant attack was 2 in 2002-03 which has an increase of 9 in 2013-14. There is also hike in average no of injury of 2 in 2002-03 to 17 in 2013-14. In 2011-12 total crop damage was 776.91 hectare which increases to 1322 hectare in 2015. Similarly the no of human injury and human death also increased considerably. In 2011-12 total no of hut damage was 369 no which increases to 449 in 2013-14. Average no of human death due to elephant attack was 2 in 2002-03 which has an increase of 9 in 2013-14. There is also hike in average no of injury of 2 in 2002-03 to 17 in 2013-14.

Dimensions of Human-elephant conflict In Bankura north forest division, Barjora and Sonamukhi ranges recorded highest conflict intensity in comparision to other ranges of the division.Dense forest cover and available waterbodies provide adequate shelter for the presence of elephants. Every year high compensation was given by the forest department to these ranges to combat HEC.

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Range wise crop damage Crop damage is high in Barjora range, Sonamukhi range and Beliatore range because most of the crop field in these ranges are located in close vicinity to the forest. In Sonamukhi range average crop damage was 168.42 Ha in 2011-12 which increase to 459 Ha in 2014-15. In Barjora range annual average crop damage was 503.47 Ha which accounts for 3776031 Rs of compensation. Mejia, , Bankura north range reported very low level of crop damages (Fig 1).

Fig-1 Range wise crop damage

Range wise human injury cases There is a gradual increase in the human injury cases in Beliatore and sonamukhi range. In 2011-12 there was only 1 human death recorded in Beliatore range which increases to 10 in 2014-15. Barjora range also recorded high human injury cases over the years. Bankura North, saltora and Mejia range recorded low human injury cases. Every year Govt spent huge amount of Rs as compensation in Barjora, Sonamukhi and Beliatore range due to high level of injury cases in these region (Fig-2).

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Fig-2 Human injury cases

Range wise hut damage In Banura north forest division, most of the villagers are very poor and they live in mud hoses in forest fringe areas. Hut damage by elephant is a very common phenomenon in this region. Incidences of hut damage are very high in Barjora range, Beliatore range, Sonamukhi range and Radhanagar range. In 2011-12 there was 39 hut damage case reported in sonamukhi range which increase to 162 in 2014-15. In Barjora range there was 225 cases of hut damage in 2011-12 which increases to 405 in 2014-15. Saltora, Mejia and Bankura north range reported very few cases of hut damage over the years (Fig-3).

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Fig-3 Range wise hut damage cases

Time of Elephant attack In daytime elephants do take rest in the forest and come out from the forest in search of food in the onset of evening. Elephants do attack people if someone falls in the path of their journey. As elephants normally ventures in the evening and night , most of the human death and injury take place in that time. In Barjora beat 43% of the surveyed household opined that most of the human death and injury due to elephant attack was happened in the night time followed by evening. In Beliatore beat 52% of the household state that elephant attack mainly occurred in night time. Some time people guard their crop field in night time and tried to chase elephant away from their crop field to prevent crop damage and got attacked by elephant (Fig-4).

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Fig-4 Time of Elephant attack

Location of elephant attack Majority of the elephant incident occurred inside the forest. People of the forest fringe areas enter in the forest to collect firewood and different non timber forest products (NTFP) and sometime got attacked by elephant. In Barjora beat 51% of the surveyed household opined that majority of elephant attack incidences took place inside the forest and 20% opined that these incidences took place outside the forest and on road. Incidences of elephant attack inside the settlement occurred when elephants come out from the forest to the locality in search of food (Fig-5).

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Fig-5 Location of Elephant attack

Gender wise attack As male people are the working population in this region, they sometime falls in the path of the elephant movement and got attacked by elephants. Beside this male population form hullah party and chase elephant away. Elephants sometime got irritated and attack the member of the hullah party. In all the surveyed beats more than 85% of the household opined that male population are frequently got attacked by elephant than female. Sometimes females entered in the forest to collect NTFP and got attacked by elephants (Fig 6).

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Fig-6 Gender wise elephant attack

Age wise attack Adult population is the working population and hence they got attacked by elephant more frequently. Youth and old people are not working population and remain in home and hence less attacked by elephants. Sometimes elephants attacked the hut in the night time in search of food and attack the kids and the old persons. In all the surveyed beats more than 82% of the surveyed household opined that adult population got attacked by people more frequently. Only 7% household stated that youth and old people got attacked by elephant (Fig-7).

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Fig-7 Age wise elephant attack

Conclusion Human-elephant conflict is a serious problem for the local inhabitants of Bankura north forest division. Elephant depredation is increasing day by day in this region. Every year people of this region are facing hectares of crop damage. Trend of hut damage, human injury, and human causalities are also increasing. Elephant depredation mainly occurred in the night time. The working male people are more vulnerable to elephant attack than the juvenile group of population. Every year new areas are getting affected to Human-elephant conflict. Cooperation from every sphere of the society is needed for successful mitigation of the problem.

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Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, National university of Singapore. Singh, R. K., & Chowdhury, S.(1999). Effect of mine discharge on pattern of riverine habitat use of elephant Eliphus maximus and other mammals in Singhbhum forest,Bihar, India. Journal of Environmental Management, 57(3), 177–192. doi:10.1006/jema.1999.0293 Singh, R.K. (2002). Elephants in exile: A rapid assessment of the human–elephant conflict in Chhattisgarh,The Wildlife Trust of India, Occasional Report No. 5. Singh A.K,Singh k Rina,Chowdhury Sushant(2002)”Human elephant conflict in Changed landscapes of south westbengal,India,Indian forester, 128,1129-1132. Sukumar, R. (1994). Wildlife-human conflict in India: An ecological and social perspective. pp. 303-317. In: R. Guha (ed.) Social Ecology. Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 303-317. Sukumar, R. (2003). The living elephants: Evolutionary, ecology, behavior, and conservation New York: Oxford University Press.

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