Elephants to be declared national heritage animal: Ramesh
PTI | 05:08 PM,Aug 31,2010"There is an urgent need to ensure elephant specific Environmental Impact Assessment (EIAs). All infrastructure or development projects that require conversion of elephant habitat would require an elephant specific EIA that stops poorly planned or damaging development," the panel said. It emphasised on launching an education and outreach programmes called Gaja Praja and "Haathi-Mere-Saathi" to sensitise the people about the animal. The task force panel also underlined the need for protection of reserves and corridors from developmental projects, and special attention given to the conflict between humans and elephants as almost 400 people die every year from such conflict in India. Train hits were another problem plaguing the animal with the report pointing that since 1987, the country has lost 150 elephants in such incidents. "These include 36 per cent cases recorded from Assam, 26 per cent from West Bengal, 14 per cent from Uttarakhand, 10 per cent in Jharkhand, 6 per cent in Tamil Nadu, 03 per cent in Uttar Pradesh, 03 per cent in Kerala and 2 per cent in Orissa," the report noted.
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