JALUKBARI, Sept 2 - On the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, the State Department of Forest and The Corbett Foundation organised an open event at the Gauhati University today, with the Department of Sociology coordinating it.
AM Singh, Principal Chief Conservation of Forest and head of the Forest Force, Assam, interacted with the students, artists, teachers and researchers, during the �Jumbo Chaupal� event of the programme. He suggested that all stakeholders should jointly work and support the forest department in creating an atmosphere for coexistence of human beings and wildlife. He explained how the State forest department is working closely with the local community in Nagaon district to address the human-elephant conflict issue.
Singh answered questions put by the students regarding human-elephant conflict.
The Corbett Foundation invited artists, students and teachers from Arts College to use paint and brush to depict the challenges elephants face today.
Students and teachers from schools around Deepor Beel participated in the sketch and painting competition. They vividly expressed their concern for the elephants facing difficulty due to fragmentation of their habitat.
Dr Naveen Pandey, deputy director of The Corbett Foundation said that barring a few incidents of retaliation, Assamese farmers have great tolerance towards elephants and this tolerance comes from Ganesha, the Elephant God. The event was an attempt to engage dialogue of various stakeholders in Assam, he said.
