Wokha’s Elephant problem: politicians assure help; villagers demand big help

EMN
Dimapur, June 15

Politicians have assured help and various other means to mitigate the issue of the so-named “human-elephant conflict” in Wokha district. A recent event in Wokha saw politicians assuring various measures such as setting up administrative and infrastructural mechanisms to help villages in Wokha affected by wild elephants.
On the part of the villagers, a long list of demands from compensation to setting up government monitoring units, were presented to the policy makers.
A day long workshop about the issue of mitigating the human-elephant conflict was conducted on June 12 in Hammock Resort conference hall, in new Wokha.
Minister for Forest, Dr. Neikiesalie Kire and Additional Director General for Forests Vinod Ranjan were the chief guest and guest of honour for the events, in that order.
Addressing the gathering Dr Nicky appealed to the visiting officers to present the ‘issues and problems to the ministry on priority to settle the issue of human-elephant conflict’. He assured to open a full-fledged forest range post for wildlife in the region as early as possible. This will be done after conducting thorough a survey, the politician said.
In this regard, Kire urged the affected villagers of the region to extend cooperation ‘for successful implementation of the same’. In his address, Vinod Ranjan said that the central government will have an ‘open mind’ to the proposals and suggestions put up by the state’s authority in bringing a solution in addressing the issue of human-elephant conflict. He lauded the efforts of the state government and the people for successfully initiating the project in conserving Amur Falcons as well.
Parliamentary Secretary for Labour & Employment and Border Affairs, Mmhonlumo Kikon also spoke during the event. He said that the conflict been humans and elephants have occurred ‘since time immemorial’ and that it was high time to take serious steps to address the matter. It is time to find means to tackle the problems faced by the affected villagers, he said.
The politician added that the department should work on a ‘proper action plan so that elephants and human can coexist’.
A memorandum was submitted to the visiting officials by the affected villagers. They demanded ex-gratia for death and injuries caused by elephants; compensation for damage to crops and property; establishment of range office in Wokha district ‘for timely intervention and monitoring’.
Other demands included appointment of ‘village-level forest patrol squad’ for the affected villages, construction of watch towers and resting sheds; supply of equipments, creation of “proper research and awareness on elephants deterrent” and arranging viable alternative sources of livelihood for villages that are in “elephant human conflict”.
The villagers also demanded “timely release of ex-gratia and early release of pending ex-gratia and compensation, any other viable and commensurate benefits available to the affected villages in the event of creation of corridors and community conserve areas on special focus to local consideration”.
District forest officers and administrative officials also spoke during the event.