GUWAHATI, Dec 14 � Legislators cutting across party lines today expressed concern over the growing man-animal conflict, especially involving elephants, and urged the Government to evolve a holistic mechanism to resolve the issue,
The legislators were unanimous that growing deforestation and encroachment on forests were compelling the wildlife to come out and invade human habitations in search of food.
Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain, in his reply, said that the department was contemplating to use electric fencing on an experimental basis to mitigate the worsening man-elephant conflict.
�We have been trying out different measures to mitigate the conflict, and as an experiment, contemplating to introduce electric fencing in some select areas. But some conservationists are having reservations on it and we would have further discussion with them before going ahead,� Hussain said.
Sivacharan Narzary (BPF) and Manowar Hussain (AIUDF) alleged that it takes a long time for people killed or injured by elephants to get the mandated compensation, and similar was the case with crop damage. Hussain said that the Government increased the compensation amount for death caused by elephants to Rs 1 lakh from the earlier Rs 40,000.
Padma Hazarika (AGP) said that the Government was adopting a discriminatory attitude towards compensating those injured by elephants.
