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Mizzima: Need for preserving elepha



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  Need for preserving elephants, forests and paddy fields in Indo-Burma
                                 border

By our correspondent
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

Guwahati, Oct. 3: Destruction caused by elephants is a major problem in
the North East region of India. As the forest coverage in the region is
shrinking, several species are now on the brink of extinction. The
region was once famous for its pachyderms roaming undulating hills but
now, due to the destruction of forest areas, elephants have started
loosing their natural habitat.  This loss causes the elephants to move
into and wreak havoc in local paddy fields in their search for food.
During the last couple of years over 200 people were killed by the
pachyderms in various places of the region.

As villagers had seen enough of the perennial problems caused by
elephants and of the lack of concerted efforts on the part of the
authorities concerned, ten elephants of the famous Nameri national park
and the Pakhoi game sanctuary adjacent to the Indo Myanmar border were
killed in mid-September.

In view of the increasing death toll on pachyderms, the Assam forest
department handed over the matter to the Assam Veterinary College to
ascertain the facts prior to taking action. Initially, the absence of
fresh carcasses of elephants in the region prevented college authorities
from arriving at substantive conclusions. Collecting samples of highly
decomposed carcasses and submitting them to laboratory tests, however,
it was possible to detect quantities of organophosphorous, a pesticide
traded under the name Dimecron.

Dr. Apurva Chakravorty, member of the investigating team of the
veterinary college, stated that the substance's residual effect proves
highly toxic for the animals. Asked how the pachyderms came into contact
with the pesticide, Dr. Chakravorty conjectured: "Elephants have a
strong affinity for liquor.  Taking advantage of this affinity, they
were given the poisonous pesticide diluted with home-made liquor,
Chulai".

Despite a ban on the pesticide due to its toxicity, farmers often use it
in their paddy fields. The pesticide poisoning cases have spurred the
forest department into action. Though several foreign agencies have come
forward to stop the depredation caused by elephants, no permanent
solution has yet been proposed.  The Chief Conservator of Forest, Mr. S.
Doley admitted that the problem was grounded in the depletion of forest
land. "We have lost valuable elephant corridors along the Indo-Myanmar
border during the past couple of years which accounts for the fact that
elephants are facing severe hardship in attempting to find sufficient
food", Mr Doley said. He also stated that the department had decided to
erect electric fencing along the border to stop depredation. Despite Mr
Doley's optimistic claim, it has become clear that the project of
erecting fencing is progressing at a snail's pace, leading to major
problems for the people residing nearby the national park.

It merits mentioning in this context that the total of four elephants
reserves in the region are in a dilapidated state due to the destruction
of their forest areas. Regarding this worrisome phenomenon, the Chief
Conservator of Forest expressed the worry that the depredation problem
was bound to aggravate further if urgent steps were not initiated in the
very near future.



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<center><b><font color="#000099"><font size=+1>Need for preserving elephants,
forests and paddy fields in Indo-Burma border</font></font></b></center>

<p><font color="#FF0000">By our correspondent</font>
<br><font color="#FF0000">Mizzima News <a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>(www.mizzima.com)</a></font>
<p><i><font color="#FF0000">Guwahati, Oct. 3:</font></i> Destruction caused
by elephants is a major problem in the North East region of India. As the
forest coverage in the region is shrinking, several species are now on
the brink of extinction. The region was once famous for its pachyderms
roaming undulating hills but now, due to the destruction of forest areas,
elephants have started loosing their natural habitat.&nbsp; This loss causes
the elephants to move into and wreak havoc in local paddy fields in their
search for food.&nbsp; During the last couple of years over 200 people
were killed by the pachyderms in various places of the region.
<p>As villagers had seen enough of the perennial problems caused by elephants
and of the lack of concerted efforts on the part of the authorities concerned,
ten elephants of the famous Nameri national park and the Pakhoi game sanctuary
adjacent to the Indo Myanmar border were killed in mid-September.
<p>In view of the increasing death toll on pachyderms, the Assam forest
department handed over the matter to the Assam Veterinary College to ascertain
the facts prior to taking action. Initially, the absence of fresh carcasses
of elephants in the region prevented college authorities from arriving
at substantive conclusions. Collecting samples of highly decomposed carcasses
and submitting them to laboratory tests, however, it was possible to detect
quantities of organophosphorous, a pesticide traded under the name Dimecron.
<p>Dr. Apurva Chakravorty, member of the investigating team of the veterinary
college, stated that the substance's residual effect proves highly toxic
for the animals. Asked how the pachyderms came into contact with the pesticide,
Dr. Chakravorty conjectured: "Elephants have a strong affinity for liquor.&nbsp;
Taking advantage of this affinity, they were given the poisonous pesticide
diluted with home-made liquor, Chulai".
<p>Despite a ban on the pesticide due to its toxicity, farmers often use
it in their paddy fields. The pesticide poisoning cases have spurred the
forest department into action. Though several foreign agencies have come
forward to stop the depredation caused by elephants, no permanent solution
has yet been proposed.&nbsp; The Chief Conservator of Forest, Mr. S. Doley
admitted that the problem was grounded in the depletion of forest land.
"We have lost valuable elephant corridors along the Indo-Myanmar border
during the past couple of years which accounts for the fact that elephants
are facing severe hardship in attempting to find sufficient food", Mr Doley
said. He also stated that the department had decided to erect electric
fencing along the border to stop depredation. Despite Mr Doley's optimistic
claim, it has become clear that the project of erecting fencing is progressing
at a snail's pace, leading to major problems for the people residing nearby
the national park.
<p>It merits mentioning in this context that the total of four elephants
reserves in the region are in a dilapidated state due to the destruction
of their forest areas. Regarding this worrisome phenomenon, the Chief Conservator
of Forest expressed the worry that the depredation problem was bound to
aggravate further if urgent steps were not initiated in the very near future.
<br>&nbsp;
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