Dehradun: Incidents of man-animal conflict have become a matter of grave concern and a massive challenge for Uttarakhand's forest department and the government.
Though the forest department has taken several measures to overcome the crisis, their effectiveness is seemingly missing at the ground level, as the situation is turning more grim with each passing year.
This year's numbers are especially alarming, as so far, 22 persons have died in the state in incidents of man-animal conflict.
The state government has introduced many projects aimed at reducing incidents of man-animal conflict. In a silver-lining, due to the global coronavirus pandemic, very few incidents of man-animal conflict have been reported till July. The forest department's effort is to further reduce the number of conflicts.
Statistics of man-animal conflict in Uttarakhand over the years Uttarakhand is not only a hilly state but is also replete with forests. At present, 70 per cent of the state's land is covered by forests. This is the reason why one can see wildlife in all the hilly areas. Many a times wild animals intrude into areas of human inhabitation, leading to man-animal conflict.
Giving more details about the situation, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Jai Raj said that humans must learn how to coexist with animals, instead of using the term man-animal conflict. He said whenever an incident of man-animal conflict is reported, the divisional forest officer reaches the spot to defuse the situation.
Jai Ram said that those living on the edge of forest areas are being made aware of how to co-exist with wild animals. Villagers are told not to let wild bushes grow around their village, not to attend to nature's calls in the open, keep the lights on outside of their homes, and send their children to school in groups.
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