I know, what are saying; that the problem of elephants entering human settlements and damaging crops, is a problem which needs a multi level approach and not one quick fix.
I agree with you.

Elephants are entering human settlements for a variety of reasons, some of them are:

1) Food
2) Shrinking forests
3) Human settlements coming up on their traditional paths.
4) Elephants getting used to Humans and their livestock.

Etc.

But, I’m advising the Government to provide “High Subsidy on LPG to people dependent on forests for fuel and fodder; to care of the reasons mentioned on points 3) and 4).

I amateur hold the belief that, one of the reasons wild animals enter human settlements, is that they get used to the human presence. If humans go to forests for fuel and fodder, animals see them as one among them. Add to this the irreparable damage done by the human activity inside forest to the wild ecosystem.

Hence, the idea is to stop people from venturing into forests.

For this, the Government should subsidize LPG in the villages either on the periphery of forests or in those from where people go to forests for fuel and fodder as part of their traditional Forest rights.
Remember fuel is important for villagers with no means of livelihood, and solely dependent on animal husbandry, as they have to cook ‘meal for their dairy animals at least twice a day’. And cooking 10-15 kilograms of animal meal takes significant amount of fuel. If they stop bringing fuel from forests, they can’t keep animals.

Hence, the Government should subsidize LPG for such people; and allot them another LPG cylinder for the up keep of their animals. The Government should also open green fodder outlets in each village, and provide the villagers Green fodder on PDS model (although free of cost would be better).

On parallel lines, the Government should ensure that no person enters forests either for fuel or fodder. There should be a strict policy that NO COMPENSATION would be awarded for deaths inside the forests and wild-life reserves.

If the Government encourages dairy farming, by introducing High Yielding Varieties of milch animals (milch animals means animals who give milk) at micro level, along with providing subsidized LPG and green fodder for animals to the people; then can make a foundation for milk based food processing industry in Uttarakhand (there are hundreds of varieties of cheese all over the world). An industry that cater in both unprocessed (milk) and processed (Cheese, curd etc.) products not only to India but abroad.

What do you say?
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