Ranchi: Chief minister Hemant Soren on Monday directed officials to carry out a detailed mapping of all elephant corridors in Jharkhand and ensure that development projects do not obstruct the movement of elephant herds and other wildlife.Chairing the first meeting of the governing body of the Jharkhand Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Soren said plantation drives must benefit benefits to forests, local communities and people living in rural areas.The CM said forest conservation and strengthening livelihoods of people living in and around forest areas should go hand in hand. “The (forest) department must prioritise plantation, water and soil conservation, wildlife protection and ecological restoration works,” he said.Highlighting growing concerns over human-wildlife conflict, Soren said activities such as mining, coal extraction and stone crushers operating in forested and hilly regions can disrupt natural habitat and movement of wild animals. Soren further suggested the use of elevated roads to avoid construction of roads in elephant corridors.The forest department informed CM that it is deploying thermal and infrared cameras in sensitive areas such as Ramgarh, Bokaro and Chakulia (East Singhbhum) to track elephant movement. The system will issue local alerts through hooters and send real-time messages to residents, helping prevent human-elephant conflict.
