Kolkata, July 27: Minister in-charge of the state forest department (SFD) Ananta Roy, in the state Assembly on Friday said that 48 people were killed during elephant attacks in the state in 2006. The figures re-confirm the growing human-animal conflict in in the state.
Roy said that the major reason that prompts elephants to enter human settlements is scarcity of food. Various steps are being taken by the department to solve this problem. Bamboo and fruit trees are being planted in the forests in sufficient numbers for the elephants, so that there is no need for them to come out of the forest area in search of food.
At the same time, protection committees are also being trained for the same purpose.
Accepting the fact that at times, elephants have died after being hit by trains, Roy said, “We have already held meetings with the railway authorities. The corridors, which the elephants use regularly to go from one place to another, are known regionally. Signboards have been placed to create awareness among the people, so that such cases can be minimised.”
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