Elephants too are an election issue in the tribal state Chhattisgarh going to assembly poll later this month.
RAIPUR: Elephants too are an election issue in the tribal state Chhattisgarh going to assembly poll later this month.
With the jumbo menace affecting northern part of the state comprising of districts like Surguja, Koria, Jashpur, Korba and Raigarh, ruling BJP has in its election manifesto promised a new scheme for development of a corridor for movement of elephants so that they do not stray into human habitations.
"A new scheme would be implemented for the development of elephant conserved area (i.e elephant corridor) in the regions affected with elephants, the manifesto said.
The party's concern stems from the apprehension that frequent attacks by elephants in these primarily agriculture areas could anger the farmers, a sizeable chunk of voters.
Elephants have in the last few years repeatedly damaged paddy crops of farmers, besides killing the villagers.
Last month, a herd of elephants went wild after entering a village in Surajpur block of Sarjuga district and trampled a septuagenarian woman there, an incident that had triggered a temporary migration of a large number of villagers.
"The elephants come from the adjoining forests of Jharkhand and go back after wrecking havoc. Since they cause huge crop damage to the poor villagers, it's indeed an issue there," said a resident Manish Kumar Jha.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), Wild Life of the state R N Mishra said more than half a dozen districts falling in Vilaspur and Sarguja forest circles are affected with the elephant menace.
"The central government has already accepted the state's proposal for creation of forest conserved areas in Lemro at Raigarh-Korba border and between Badalkhol and Tamlurpingla, the main centres of elephant herds. Work will start once the state government issues notification regarding it," Mishra added.
Sources, however, say existence of coal blocks in the proposed forest corridor is delaying a decision.
Residents take the issue with a pinch of salt. "Elephant menace continues here for decades. Why promise is made only during elections? It's a political gimmick," a youth Naresh Sahu says.
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