Goa: ‘Protect forests to lower man-animal conflict’

KERI: With natural habitats shrinking, there is a rise in man-animal conflict. In order to retain Goa’s greenery and natural beauty, the state needs to fiercely protect its forests, said national award-winning Assamese filmmaker Kripal Kalita.
Kalita is in Goa for the screening of the film ‘Hati Bondhu’ at the 53rd International Film Festival of jIndia (Iffi).
He later visited Keri, a village nestled at the foothills of the Western Ghats in Sattari taluka.
The documentary ‘Hati Bondhu’ focuses on the rise in elephant deaths in Assam due to the shrinking forests.
The film is about Pradeep Kumar Bhuyan, 90, who helped create a strip of land with banana and other plantations that provided food for the elephants and prevented the conflict of wild jumbos with man.
Kalita was deeply moved when he learnt of the man-elephant conflict presently going on in the Tillari region bordering Goa, which resulted in the tragic deaths of elephants as well as of human beings from the area.
“There are 6,000 elephants in Assam. Each elephant requires a minimum 150kg of food and 50 litres of water per day. The forest space for elephants is reducing. Recently, 18 elephants died in one night. Every year, 40 to 50 elephants perish due to electrocution, train deaths or poisoning,” said Kalita.
He said the conflict has reached such levels that now there are reports of elephant meat being consumed by some in Assam.
“My film highlights the various mitigation measures undertaken by the Hati Bondhu organisation to provide these majestic creatures a conducive environment for natural living. The forest cover in Assam has dwindled by nearly 30% affecting elephant corridors drastically. Also, the quality of the forest deteriorated significantly due to anthropogenic activities,” he said.
Hati Bondhu is involved in plantation of grasses and paddy with community participation to meet the food needs of wild elephants. Due to this initiative, elephants forage in peace, while farmers downstream harvest their paddy without conflict.
Assamese folklore believes that elephants are Sarabjan (all knowing), and acknowledge the love shown to them by humans and reciprocate in amazing ways, said Kalita.
Kalita and his family were fascinated with the natural beauty of Goa and the rich Western Ghats displaying bewildering facets of biodiversity.