Ominous rise in human-elephant conflicts in J’khand in 23 years, claims new WII study

ASRP.MukeshRanchi: Human-elephant conflicts were sporadic incidents in 2000. However, habitat fragmentation, agricultural expansion and increasing human activities on elephant corridors have turned these conflicts into an ever-growing menace by 2023. This claim was made in a study conducted by experts at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) taking data into consideration between 2000 and 2023.Eight wildlife experts contributed to the study, which was published in Ecology and Evolution, an international journal, on December 18 this year. The authors include Kalpana Roy, Ramesh Kumar Pandey, Athira N. Ganesan, Ananya Dutta, Dheeraj Mittal, Parag Nigam, Anukul Nath and Bilal Habib.Talking to TOI, Bilal, who led the team, said that it took them one year to complete the study. “We have so far finished state specific study for Assam, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand,” he said, adding that each state has its own specific issues behind the conflicts.In Jharkhand, team collected data from 22 forest divisions, comprising 1,740 incidents, including 1,340 fatalities and 400 injuries, predominantly in Ranchi, Khunti, and East Singhbhum districts."This means, in Jharkhand, of the 24 districts, Ranchi, East Singhbhum and Khunti divisions are the key areas for human-elephant conflicts. If govt and planners prioritise addressing the issue in these conflict areas, more than 80% of these conflicts will be reduced,” he said.The study further states that all the conflict hotspots are concentrated near protected areas and fragmented forest habitats. “High-conflict villages have greater cropland and built-up areas, while medium and low-conflict villages have shown variability in land use patterns. Landscape fragmentation and habitat degradation upped the conflicts. Proximity to forests, water sources, roads, and elephant reserves too have influenced conflict risks," notes the study.According to the 2017 census, Jharkhand had an estimated 679 elephants. “This is far lesser than say Assam, but conflicts have only risen,” noted Bilal.Jharkhand offered natural habitat and migratory corridor for elephants between the forests of West Bengal, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.“But extensive coal mining operations, particularly in districts such as Dhanbad, Hazaribag, and West Singhbhum led to significant habitat fragmentation. The degradation of important elephant corridors, such as the Saranda Forest, a critical migration route for elephant movement in Odisha and Jharkhand, has further disrupted elephant migration routes, forcing them into human settlements due to which incidents of crop-raiding, property damage, and human fatalities have surged, creating a significant burden for local communities,” said the study.“The monsoon is a period having heightened human-elephant conflicts in Jharkhand, which could be associated with the comparatively dense forests and reduced visibility during this time, making it more difficult for humans to spot elephants and leading to more frequent encounters,” it added.“There is a need for policy and management efforts, mainly in high-conflict zones by including efforts such as restoring and maintaining habitat connectivity, regulating land-use change near critical conflict zones, reducing road-related disturbances and mitigation structures such as solar fencing and trenches,” the study said.