Bengaluru: Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre on Thursday told officials to incorporate technology to come up with a better strategy to handle man-animal conflict.
The minister held a review meeting with senior officials of the department and advised them to come up with an action plan to mitigate the man-animal conflict in the buffer zones of forest areas. “The government is not short of money when it comes to funding IT solutions for preventing and mitigating wildlife conflicts,” he said.
The ministers also stressed the need for accountability and said officials of the rank of Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, who have been made nodal officers of some of the forest circles, should visit the conflict areas at least for two days in a week. “The nodal officers must take responsibility for rescuing animals that stray into human habitats,” he said.
Khandre advised officials to come up with an action plan that looks into the issue of the rising number of elephants. “We are proud of the fact that Karnataka has 6,395 elephants. But the rising number doesn’t mean the elephant habitat is increasing. It is necessary to think of solutions for situations that may come up in future,” he said.
(Published 09 November 2023, 18:23 IST)