Ranchi, Jharkhand 24 July 2014 :: Worried of loss of life and property due to Elephant-Human conflict in Jharkhand, MP Parimal Nathwani had raised the issue in Rajya Sabha. Replying a question of Shree Nathwani the Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge), Shreepad Nayak stated that there is no proposal of development or restoration of ‘Migration Route’ of wild Elephants pending with the Ministry of Environment & Forest (MOEF). In fact, some experts view in Elephant-human-conflict context is this that wild elephants enter in nearby villages only because human beings have captured their conventional forest routes and habitats. Elephants are migratory animals. To fulfill their daily diet they use to migrate one place to another in forest areas. Jharkhand has 11 wildlife sanctuaries and one national park notified under the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.
It is also believed that the increasing population of Elephants force them to come out of the forests. Towards keeping the balance on elephants’ population MP Nathwani asked the ministry that is there any scheme of taming wild elephants and use them for tourism purposes? Denying any such proposal pending with them, the minister told him that under Centrally-sponsored Scheme ‘Project Elephant’ (CSS-PE) of MOEF, Financial Assistance is being provided to the State, inter-alia, to improve and restore elephant habitat in the State for making available sufficient food and water to wild elephants.