Forest dept installs 7 more early warning systems to mitigate human-elephant conflict in Himachal's Paonta Sahib
Aiming to reduce the human-elephant conflict, Himachal Pradesh Forest and Wildlife Department Saturday installed early warning systems at seven locations in Majra and Girinagar forest ranges of Paonta Sahib Forest Division. The move, under Phase II of Project Elephant, comes following the success of four previously installed solar-powered Animal Intrusion Detection and Repellent Systems (Aniders) in the same forest range.
The new warning systems have been installed across the forest beats of Beharwala, Sainwala, Johron, Dholakuan, Satiwala, Batamandi, Dunga, Khararu, and Beas — areas where elephant raids on agricultural lands and villages are routine.
Paonta Sahib has witnessed crop and property damage and deaths of two people due to elephant attacks in the past one and a half years. Paonta Sahib remains the only elephant-human conflict zone in Himachal Pradesh, due to its proximity to Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand, and Kalesar National Park at Yamunanagar in Haryana. The area also hosts Simbalbara National Park. According to the Forest Department, at least two herds of Asiatic elephants regularly migrate between Uttarakhand and Haryana via Paonta Sahib.
'Seven new early warning systems have been installed at identified human-elephant conflict hotspots along the forest-farm interface. Aniders were first introduced in Himachal Pradesh in July last year under the Project Elephant & Tiger scheme, yielding positive outcomes in Dhaulakuan, Fandi Koti, and Satiwala. Hence, Phase II was initiated,' a senior forest officer told The Indian Express.
Aniders use flashing lights and sharp alarms triggered by approaching animals, effectively deterring wildlife incursions. Since last year, 11 Aniders have been installed, mainly to control elephant movement, and at two sites (Paonta and Girinagar), they are also being used to manage leopard conflicts.
'A resident population of 14–16 elephants has now settled within the Paonta Sahib Forest Division over the past few years,' sources said.
Raghu Sahai, a farmer from Sainwala, said, 'The incursion of elephants has increased over the last two to three years. Though we cannot stop an elephant's movement, we can divert it. The system installed by the forest department has been highly beneficial in protecting our crops.'
Paonta Sahib Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ashwarya Raj said, 'The similarity in topography and the abundance of Sal trees in Rajaji National Park, Kalesar National Park, and Simbalbara National Park attract Asiatic elephants. Paonta Sahib serves as a corridor between Uttarakhand and Haryana. Aniders are proving very beneficial for local farmers, shepherds, and nomadic communities.'
'Apart from installation of Aniders, training and awareness programmes are being conducted in Behral and Majra blocks — key elephant entry points — educating locals on managing any conflict using beehive fences, and sound deterrents. A watchtower has also been set up in Behral for elephant monitoring and as a summer forest fire lookout,' DFO Ashwarya Raj adds.
Community WhatsApp groups called 'Gaj Ghoshna' have been formed in Majra and Girinagar ranges to coordinate information sharing among villagers, forest staff, and Gaj Mitras (volunteer elephant guardians from local communities). Cost-effective apiary (beekeeping) initiatives are also being promoted to generate supplementary income for farmers and improve crop yields through pollination. Farmers are being trained to install beehive fences and use dummy bee boxes and simulated buzzing sounds to deter elephants from entering croplands.
In March last year, a 45-year old shepherd Tapinder Singh of Shellai was killed in an elephant attack at Majra forest in Paonta Sahib. In April, 2023, an elderly woman lost her life in an elephant attack at Kolar Panchayat in Paonta Sahib.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
20 hours ago
- Indian Express
127 years in vault, veil to lift on Buddhist relics
A CRYSTAL casket believed to be over 2,300 years old was found along with four other caskets at Piprahwa (ancient Kapilavastu) in Uttar Pradesh during an excavation in 1898. The fish-shaped knob of the 5 cm x 10 cm casket contains precious gems and gold leaves. Another casket, found in a stone coffer buried 18 feet under the ground, has an inscription in Brahmi script that roughly translates as: 'the casket containing the relics of Lord Buddha was donated by Sukirti brothers along with their sisters, sons and wives belonging to the Sakya clan'. For more than 127 years, several such sacred Buddhist relics from the third century BC, including the five caskets, a sandstone coffer and 221 gems and jewels, were kept in the secure vaults of the Indian Museum in Kolkata — conserved and preserved, never exposed to the public. Now, for the first time ever, the Ministry of Culture is planning an exposition of these relics of Lord Buddha that were deposited by the Sakyas, his kin, and found in a stupa belonging to Emperor Ashoka, The Indian Express has learnt. Sources said the venue is being worked out and it will most likely be held 'at a secure and appropriate venue in the national capital' to ensure a greater degree of public participation. There's a possibility that it could be held as early as next month although the dates have not been finalised yet, they said. According to records, during the January 1898 excavation at a mound in Birdpur Estate, William Claxton Peppe — son of a British estate manager — unearthed an 18-foot shaft leading to a sandstone coffer containing the relics, which also included sacred bones and ashes. Recognising the religious importance of the relics, the then Viceroy of India, Lord Elgin II, donated the sacred bones and ashes to Siamese King Rama V. However, the caskets, coffer, and associated relics were retained in India, in the custody of the Imperial Museum, which is now known as the Indian Museum, Kolkata, its Director in-charge Arijit Dutta Choudhury told The Indian Express. Recently, the Culture Ministry sent a legal notice to Sotheby's Hong Kong to stop the auction of a part of the sacred relics that were held by Peppe's family, and asked that the items be returned to India. Although the auction house stopped the auction — slated for May 7 — India's legal claim on such items is yet to yield any result. The attempted sale of the Piprahwa Buddhist relics at Sotheby's has raised global concerns as it commodified the sacred remains believed to be of Lord Buddha. For many across the globe, such relics are not artefacts but living embodiments of faith, said Khushi Kesari, Program Officer-History Lab: Community, Heritage & Material Culture, Advanced Study Institute of Asia at SGT University in Gurugram. The Sotheby's incident has significant implications for post-colonial nations like India as it underscores a wider struggle to reclaim heritage looted or exported under colonial regimes, she said. Despite being a ratified signatory of 1970 UNESCO Convention, India faces challenges, including the burden of proof and lack of bilateral treaties, to get back such relics, Kesari said. The fact that these relics are spread between private ownership and museum collections makes it difficult for India to bring them back, she said. The majority of these relics were transferred to Kolkata's Indian Museum in 1899, and are classified as 'AA' antiquities under Indian law, prohibiting their removal or sale. While a portion of the bone relics was gifted to the King of Siam, a selection retained by Peppé's descendants were listed for auction. Choudhury said the sacred relics and reliquaries at the Indian Museum have never been loaned or exhibited. 'The Piprahwa relics housed in the Indian Museum, Kolkata are classified as *AA* category antiquities, denoting their exceptional historical, cultural, and religious significance. Due to their unique value, these artefacts are preserved with the highest standards of care in accordance with international museum practices,' he said. Upon learning of the proposed auction at Sotheby's, the Culture Ministry had asked the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) to coordinate with its counterpart in Hong Kong to highlight the illegality of the auction and ensure compliance with international laws. In its notice to Sotheby's, the ministry had also reiterated its efforts 'to protect India's cultural heritage and ensure the repatriation of the Piprahwa Relics'. 'We call upon Sotheby's Hong Kong to immediately withdraw the relics from auction and cooperate with Indian authorities to return these sacred artifacts to their rightful place,' it said in the notice. However, experts believe that India's claim over the Piprahwa relics may be legally complicated, as they were excavated by Peppe on land allocated to him by the British colonial government. The colonial-era excavation and subsequent private ownership by Peppe's family complicate proof of illegal export, Kesari said. Also, this occurred long before India's Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 came into effect. Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Time of India
Govt ultimatum to families yet to relocate from Sariska
1 2 Jaipur: The Sariska Tiger Reserve administration has served a final, 15-day ultimatum to several villages, resident of which did not vacate the forest area despite accepting compensation as part of a relocation package. Families who accepted the first and second instalments of the compensation package but continue to reside inside the reserve will now face legal action if they do not relocate within the stipulated period. The decision was taken during a meeting of the district implementation committee, chaired by Alwar district collector, who met at the office of Sariska's deputy conservator of forests earlier this week. "Relocation under the Sariska Tiger Project is voluntary, and compensation is provided only after written consent from affected families. However, 49 families from Haripura, Deori, and Karaska villages, along with some from Nathusar, have not shifted despite accepting compensation. Legal proceedings will be initiated if they fail to comply," an official said. To ensure minimal disruption to education of children from relocated families, the administration approved the construction of a new govt primary school in the Tijara Rundh area, with work set to begin soon. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Meanwhile, the transfer of surrendered private land to the Forest department was delayed due to technical issues in online data entry—particularly in Dabli village, where complete land surrender is still pending. The district collector directed officials to expedite the process. A source said that identifying suitable land for further relocation remains a challenge. While 10,000 hectares were earmarked in the Rajgarh area, much of it is rocky and unsuitable for habitation. Authorities are now exploring alternative sites in the Dangarwada and Givawada regions. Villages like Loj and Nathusar, now under the newly formed Kotputli-Behror district, will continue to be managed by the existing relocation committee. "As per state directives, priority in land allotment will be given to families displaced for over three years. Additionally, 368.5 hectares of forest land were approved for de-reservation and identified as a potential resettlement zone," the official added.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Authorities refute tribals claim over forest land in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve
The Forest Department has refuted the claims over ancestral land by tribals from 'Attur Kolli Haadi' in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve on the grounds that no such hamlet is on official records. The issue came to the fore when about 150 tribals from nearby villages and working in local estates, asserted their rights over the land on May 5 and 6, and have refused to vacate the place pending settlement of their claims under the Forest Rights Act (FRA). Speaking to reporters, Ananya Kumar, Assistant Conservator of Forests of Nagarahole Wildlife Division, said on Saturday that around 150 tribals, including FRA applicants and other tribal leaders, 'illegally' entered the Attur Kolli forest area of Nagarahole range and constructed three sheds after clearing the vegetation. Though the Forest Department personnel tried to convince the tribals to vacate the area, they refused to do so stating that they would stay inside the forest until their forest rights are recognised. But Mr. Kumar said their claims are not supported by either historical or legal records and hence was not admissible. The Forest Department officials stated that the applications have undergone extensive scrutiny and multiple rounds of verification by the Sub-Divisional and District Level Committees (SDLC/DLC) since 2020. It has been concluded that there is no record of a tribal hamlet named 'Attur Kolli Haadi' within the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, said Mr. Kumar. The proceedings of the subdivisional level forest rights committee meeting held on May 22, 2025, conducted by Assistant Commissioner of Madikeri, records the statements of the Forest Department that there is no record of Attur Kolli Haadi. The department provided supporting evidence that Attur Kolli forest area is a natural forest and no historical occupation, habitation, or cultivation has ever taken place in the patch of forest as claimed by applicants, Mr. Kumar said. The authorities cited the Nagarahole National Park Management Plan (2000-2010) and pointed out that it mentions the names of 43 hamlets but there was no record of the Attur Kolli Haadi. Satellite imagery from 1985 to 2025, historical management plans, and demographic surveys from the University of Mysore were also cited to claim that no habitation or cultivation has occurred in the area. Prior to that, on May 15, the SDLC meeting was held in Madikeri and officials submitted their petition with records, while the officials from the Integrated Tribal Development Project stated that there was no mention of 'Attur Kolli Haadi' in their departmental records, the authorities added. The SDLC of FRA has also deemed that the evidence presented by the claimants was insufficient to prove historical habitation and cultivation and hence has rejected the forest rights claims pertaining to Attur Kolli forest area, according to Mr. Kumar. Meanwhile, tribal leaders and NGOs supportive of the cause have sharply criticised the State's response and have accused the authorities of violating the spirit and letter of FRA. The Karnataka State Human Rights Commission, which booked a suo moto case, directed the Kodagu Deputy Commissioner to conduct an inquiry which is in process and the next hearing will be held on June 10, 2025.
