By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, October 20, 2020: Odisha has constituted a state-level task force to prepare a three-year master plan for the reduction of man-animal conflict in the state.

The 18-member task force has been constituted under the chairmanship of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, informed Forest and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha on Tuesday.

He said it will submit the master plan to the government within six weeks.

Arukha last year told the State Assembly that 119 elephants had died due to electrocution alone in past 10 years. Besides, scores of elephants die due to train hits on the railway tracks. In November 2018, it was reported that 24 elephants died in eight years due to train hit. The railway tracks continue to be death traps for the pachyderms in the State. Lastly, with the elephant corridors and habitats being disrupted by stone quarries, mines and crusher, the pachyderms also fall prey to blasting.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been stressing on the need for reduction of man-animal conflict in the state. The master plan is expected to prioritise the activities and streamline different interventions to reduce man-animal conflict and funds under different schemes are spent as per the master plan.

This apart, funds under site-specific wildlife plans for forest diversion cases, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and District Mineral Foundation (DMF) can be effectively utilised for habitat development, digging of trenches and other protective measures, including IEC campaign, the minister said.

Arukha further said that DFOs should have standard operating procedures with railways, National Highways Authority of India, state highways, irrigation officials, electricity distribution companies with an institutional arrangement of regular monitoring and review at the circle, district and division levels.