In preparation for Haridwar Kumbh 2027, the Uttarakhand Forest Department plans to fit radio collars on the group leaders of elephant herds to mitigate man-elephant conflicts in the Haridwar forest area. Elephant intrusions into residential areas have become a perennial issue in Haridwar.
Forest Department’s plan to fit radio collars around the necks of elephant group leaders to monitor their movements as part of preparations for Haridwar Kumbh 2027, was announced in the Uttarakhand State Wildlife Board Meeting in Dehradun on Friday chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Wildlife officials from the state Forest Department informed that this is a new technology and measure to mitigate human-elephant conflict, implemented as a pilot project in Haridwar to prevent untoward incidents, especially during the Kumbh festival. Prevention of elephant attacks is targeted mainly for the large influx of pilgrims from across the nation during Kumbh.
It was announced that the plan to fit leader pachyderms, of their respective herds, with a radio collar to monitor their movements is a first-of-its-kind measure to fix man-elephant conflicts in Haridwar. According to forest officials herd elephant leaders will first be identified and then fitted with radio collars that will allow constant tracking of the complete herd.
It was stated in the board meeting that trenches and installed solar fencings have not been able to stop elephants from entering human settlements to the extent expected.
It was shared by the chief widlife warden of the state that forest department launch a study as to the pachyderm herds in the region jointly with Wildlife Institute of India(WII) focusing security of the pilgrims during upcoming Kumbh 2027. The institute will identify the strengths of the elephant herds, their frequency and time to intrude human settlements along with other behavioural aspects of the pachyderms in the area.
This will help the study team fit radio collars easily around their necks. Elephants entering residential areas will alert the team easily to reach the spot and steer them back into the forest.
It was stated in the board meeting that a proposal seeking permission to fit radio collars on elephants has been sent to the Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change.
Swapnil Aniruddh, DFO Haridwar Forest Division, stated that a preliminary study had been ongoing since May. Collars will now be fitted on elephant herd leaders.