It’s a battle without winners, a conflict which worsens over time and seems to have no resolution. The man vs animal battle, aggravated by the rapid takeover of open forest spaces and concretisation, has not only claimed several human and animal lives over the years but also led to crop losses worth crores.
In West Bengal, the human-elephant conflict has endangered the lives of both traditional dwellers in Buxa and Jaldapara and the pachyderms crossing the corridors. Between 2015 and 2020, 439 people died in North Bengal due to the discord. The state has the second-highest incidents of man-elephant conflict after Odisha.
Amid the din, experts have come up with a new technique which they say will reduce the conflict and ensure harmonious existence for elephants as well as humans.
The Alipurduar district administration has joined hands with locals of the area to come up with an ingenious plan that will reduce the need for dwellers to venture deep into forests in search of livelihood. And at the centre of the plan are good, old honeybees.
Apiculture, or beekeeping, will not only bring down incidents of locals and elephants coming face-to-face but also generate additional livelihood opportunities for tribals and farmers. Additionally, it will provide end-users with pure and natural forest honey.
Speaking to News18, Alipurduar DM Surendra Kumar Meena said: “When we place bee boxes in farms adjoining forests, the humming sound produced by bees keeps elephants at bay and provides tribals and farmers with additional income. Through this bottle of honey, you are not only getting a pure organic product, but also saving precious lives.”
According to the last census in 2019, there are 700 elephants in North Bengal. Through the project, which is funded by the administration and monitored by the forest department, the plan is to produce 10,000 kilograms of honey every year.
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