Guwahati: Facing an annual toll of nearly 150 human deaths in elephant attacks and mounting crop losses across the state, the Assam govt on Wednesday said it will formulate a comprehensive SOP on human-wildlife conflict, marking a shift towards a scientific, region-specific strategy to tackle elephant incursions and the growing monkey menace.Environment, forest and climate change minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said the SOP is expected to be finalised by July 22 after consultations with MLAs, experts and forest officials and will include both immediate and long-term measures to mitigate conflict while ensuring wildlife conservation.“The govt is committed to adopting a scientific, participatory and sustainable approach to address human-wildlife conflict,” Baruah said after a meeting with legislators at the Assam legislative assembly complex.He said indiscriminate installation of solar fencing often shifts elephant movement from one locality to another, and Assam has been divided into elephant management zones based on elephant populations and movement corridors rather than administrative boundaries. Separate consultations will be held in each zone to identify the most effective interventions, including solar fencing, bio-fencing and habitat restoration.Calling habitat loss a key driver of conflict, Baruah said the govt is planning large-scale afforestation and plantations of elephant food species to reduce the animals’ dependence on croplands and human settlements. Plantation drives may be undertaken with the help of forest battalions, the armed forces and other institutions, while aerial seeding is also being explored for inaccessible areas.The govt is also preparing a strategy to tackle the increasing monkey menace affecting agriculture and horticulture. Among the options under consideration are planting more fruit-bearing trees and examining the feasibility of scientifically supervised sterilisation programmes. The minister said no decision would be taken without public consultation, and MLAs have been asked to seek feedback from their constituencies.Baruah said the govt is working to streamline compensation for victims of human-wildlife conflict by maintaining dedicated funds with deputy commissioners to enable faster disbursal after verification. New guidelines are being prepared to simplify compensation for crop damage, human fatalities and other incidents involving elephants, tigers and other wild animals.The functioning of Rapid Response Teams is also under review to improve their effectiveness in responding to conflict situations.Stakeholders have been asked to submit written suggestions by July 20 or 21, following which the forest department will prepare the SOP to serve as the state’s policy framework for managing human-wildlife conflict.
