Bengaluru
Forest Minister Ishwar Khandre has said that he will look into providing insurance facilities to the people living in forested residential areas. He spoke while participating in a meeting with farmers as part of the International Conference on Human-Elephant Conflict Management held at the GKVK premises on Monday.
He said that the suggestion that forest people should be insured in collaboration with the government will be discussed and decided in a high-level meeting. Steps should be taken to reduce the number of offspring of elephants. Responding to the suggestions that elephant ditch, tentacle fencing, solar fence and railway barricade should be installed, the minister said that the government has already taken action in this regard.
Responding to the suggestion that the elephants should be given sugarcane, jackfruit food in the forest so that they do not go to human habitual places, experts are of the opinion that it is not advisable to grow delicious food for the elephants in the forest. There should be both life and livelihood. Our ancestors used natural resources sparingly. But now excessive use of natural resources has also led to forest destruction, he said.
The information given by the audience that 26 elephants have died due to illegal electrocution in Chikmagalur district is shocking. In this regard, action will be taken to prevent illegal electricity from being applied to the fence, which may lead to the death of wildlife. He said that all the suggestions expressed in the meeting will be discussed and suitable suggestions will be adopted.
