Odisha Launches Paddy, Banana Cultivation in Forests to Reduce Human-Elephant Conflict.
Odisha Launches Paddy, Banana Cultivation in Forests.
Bhubaneswar: In a bid to tackle the growing incidents of human-elephant conflict, the Odisha government has rolled out a plan to cultivate paddy and banana inside forests. The initiative comes weeks after Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi directed forest authorities to explore habitat-based solutions.
Following the directive, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Prem Kumar Jha issued instructions to all territorial and wildlife divisional forest officers (DFOs) to identify suitable land patches for the project. At least 15 hectares of open space in each division will be earmarked—10 hectares for local grain varieties and five hectares for bananas.
To protect the new plantations, Jha suggested initial fencing until the crops take root, after which they would be made accessible to elephants and other herbivores. The plots may be developed exclusively as grain or banana fields, or integrated with existing meadows.
Calling habitat enrichment a vital part of wildlife conservation, Jha said Odisha is already working on meadow development, fodder and fruit plantations, soil and moisture conservation, and creation of waterbodies. “Special emphasis has been given to raising crops like paddy, maize, sorghum and local grasses in forest clearings to ensure elephants have adequate food inside their habitat and do not stray into villages,” he noted.
The move aligns with recommendations from a recent international workshop on human-elephant conflict, which underscored the need for habitat-based solutions. Chief Minister Majhi had earlier urged DFOs to promote paddy cultivation in forest clearings to reduce crop raids in forest-fringe villages, a proposal he reiterated at the workshop.
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