Human-elephant conflict: Govt discusses ‘honey fencing’

Bengaluru: The state government may consider the ‘honey fencing’ technique to keep elephants from straying into human habitations or agricultural plots.

Labour Minister Santosh Lad explained the ‘honey fencing’ concept to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during a review meeting with all deputy commissioners and Zilla Panchayat chief executives.

The review meeting witnessed a serious discussion on the need to find scientific solutions to the human-elephant conflict in the state.

That is when Lad chipped in. “Elephants don’t venture into places where there are honey bees. So, if barricades that have been put up to stop elephants are lined with apiculture (beekeeping), it will help farmers and keep the jumbos away,” the minister explained. 

In the last five years, Karnataka has witnessed 160 deaths due to elephant attacks.

The government has formed eight elephant task forces at Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Mysuru, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Bannerghatta, Bengaluru South (Ramanagara) and Bandipur.

So far, Karnataka has dug 1,603.62 km of trenches, laid 1,069.29 km of tentacle solar fences, 312.37 km of regular solar fences and 428 km of railway barricades to address the human-elephant conflict.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked officials to make sure that elephants get food in the forest itself. He said lantana weeds must be removed. “Similarly, elephants should get sufficient drinking water,” he said.  In North Karnataka, Siddaramaiah said agricultural crops are suffering damages due to deer.  “We need to take steps for this, too,” he said. 

Afforestation

Siddaramaiah said 15.16 lakh acres of land are available to take up afforestation. These are wastelands. “In the last two years, 8.5 crore saplings have been planted,” he said. He also sought details on the extent of afforestation taken up in the last 10 years. 

Quote - “In the last two years 8.5 crore saplings have been planted.

Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister