What’s Behind Odisha's New Initiative to Tackle Human-Elephant Conflicts?

Innovative Approach to Elephant Conservation in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: In a groundbreaking effort to mitigate the increasing incidents of human-elephant conflicts in Odisha, a new community engagement initiative named 'Hati Sabha' was launched on Thursday. This program, which focuses on elephant conservation, is being implemented in ten districts that are most affected by these conflicts. The initiative is a collaborative effort involving Bikash Saathi, Dharitri, and ASD Group, aiming to create grassroots solutions by enhancing communication among forest officials, local residents, and youth. The launch event was officiated by Tathagata Satpathy, Editor of Dharitri and Orissa POST, alongside Chief Executive Adyasha Satpathy and Bikash Saathi's founders, Biswajeet Panda and Manaranjan Das.

The inaugural session featured effective coordination by Tushar Behera and Sai Priya Nayak. The program is being conducted in Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Cuttack, Khurda, Ganjam, and Kandhamal districts, aiming to unite community members and college students to address real-time challenges, threats, and insights from the Forest Department.

The initiative seeks to gather community insights and traditional knowledge regarding human-elephant coexistence, aiming to enhance local understanding, promote harmonious living, and incorporate indigenous wisdom into conservation efforts.

During the event, Tathagata Satpathy highlighted the significant factors leading to human-elephant conflicts, such as habitat destruction, electrocution, train collisions, and plastic waste, which has even been discovered in elephant dung. Adyasha Satpathy shared insights from community feedback gathered across the districts, emphasizing the need for empathy and coexistence. Biswajeet Panda provided valuable information on elephant behavior, guidelines for interacting with elephants during conflicts, and the essential role these animals play as keystone species in forest ecosystems.