Task force to tackle man-jumbo conflict

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has constituted an eight-member task force to resolve the problem of human-elephant conflict. 

The move follows a direction from the High Court to the Union Government in this regard. The task force comprises elephant experts, a sociologist and a City-based advocate.

The members are: Dr Ajay Desai, member of the Project Elephant Steering Committee; Dr Raman Sukumaran, elephant expert and Chairman, Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES), Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc); Dr M D Madhusudan, elephant biologist; Dr C H Basappanavar, retired forest officer; Sharad Chandra Lele, Sociologist, Ashoka Trust for Research in Environment and Education; Dr S S Bisht, former director, Project Elephant and elephant expert; Dr Ajay Mishra, CCF and Field Director, Mysore Elephant Reserve; B R Deepak, advocate.

The committee will look into the entire gamut of issues and make effective recommendations for conservation and management, study composition of elephant population in Kattepura and its movement pattern.

The committee will undertake consultation on translocation of elephants with people, including those presently affected and those residing at the place where the jumbos will be translocated; other experts, including those working on such problems in other parts of the world.