Kolkata, 19 March (H.S.) -Incidents of elephant attacks are on the rise in West Bengal, leading to several casualties. Expressing concern over the issue in the Assembly, the state's Forest Minister, Birbaha Hansda, warned that human encroachment into forests is a major reason behind these attacks. She stated that as long as people continue to destroy the natural habitat of wildlife, preventing such incidents will remain a challenge.

Speaking in the Assembly on Wednesday, Birbaha Hansda said, Humans are destroying the natural habitat of wildlife. Forest resources, including food meant for animals, are being taken to markets and sold, forcing elephants to venture into villages and towns in search of sustenance. She urged people to remain cautious and become more aware of wildlife conservation.

The Forest Minister emphasized that unless elephants are allowed to live peacefully in their natural habitat, they will continue to enter human settlements. She also appealed to legislators to raise awareness among the public and take steps to curb human interference in forests.

Every year, multiple lives are lost due to elephant attacks in the state. In January this year, a herd of elephants from Odisha entered the Belda Range in West Midnapore district, where a 65-year-old man, Ramu Murmu, was trampled to death. Similarly, in December last year, a local resident of Jhargram, Badal Murmu, was also killed in an elephant attack.

Despite continuous efforts by the forest department to alert villagers and implement measures to prevent elephants from entering populated areas, the number of such incidents remains high. In light of this situation, the Forest Minister has now made a direct appeal to people, urging them to become aware and avoid unnecessary interference in the Forests.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh