Elephant Conservation, Management and Protection of Human Interests

The Dehra Dun-Shivalik belt is the North-Western limit of the vast range of the Asian Elephant. It is also a region which has been heavily populated in recent years and, this, along with highways, hydro electric schemes on the Ganga, has greatly disrupted and reduced the effective habitat and migrations of the resident Elephants. Elephant-man confrontations have increased to unacceptable levels with Elephants wreaking havoc on cultivation. The Rajaji Park area which even 16 years after notification has not been declared a National Park, has been bisected into distinct sectors by highways, power channels and settlements and it can no lo-nger sustain the large population of Elephants using its tract. This article seeks to encourage thinking on new lines to mitigate this problem. The ideas and solutions suggested herein are entirely the author's own.