Lemru Elephant Reserve: Chhattisgarh government has suggested shrinking the size of the Lemru Elephant Reserve from 1,995 square kilometers to 450 square kilometers. Initially, the central government had approved a 450 square kilometer reserve in 2007, but in 2019, the state government decided to expand it to 1,995 square kilometers. Now, there’s a proposal to revert to the smaller size, and this has received approval from the Centre.
About
- The reserve is located in the Korba district of Chhattisgarh.
- The reserve is aiming at reducing human-animal conflict and destruction of property in addition to providing a permanent habitat to the elephants.
- Earlier, the state government notified the reserve (Conservation Reserve) in October 2020 under Section 36A of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA).
- Section 36A has a special provision that gives the Union government a say in the process of notification in case the land to be notified as conservation reserve has areas belonging to the Centre.
- Elephant reserves are not recognised under the WLPA.
Reason for Reducing Size
- The reserve area we’re considering is a special part of the Hasdeo Aranya forests, known for its incredible biodiversity and also happens to have valuable coal deposits.
- Out of the 22 coal blocks in the region, 7 have already been assigned for mining. Three of them are currently operational, while the other four are in the process of being set up.
- One of the main difficulties we faced in expanding the reserve was the fact that enlarging it would render several coal mines non-functional. This created a challenge in balancing conservation efforts with the existing coal mining activities.
Significance of Reserve
- More than 240 elephants call North Chhattisgarh their home, but unfortunately, the state has witnessed the loss of over 150 elephants in the last two decades, with 16 of them passing away between June and October 2020.
- Elephants became a part of Chhattisgarh’s landscape in 1990 when they began migrating from undivided Madhya Pradesh. Interestingly, while Madhya Pradesh had a strategy of redirecting elephants from Jharkhand, the absence of a formal policy in Chhattisgarh allowed these majestic animals to establish a corridor in the northern and central regions of the state.
- The relatively recent arrival of elephants in Chhattisgarh led to a growing issue of human-elephant conflict. This conflict emerged as the elephants ventured into inhabited areas in search of food. The lack of a clear policy exacerbated the situation, making it a pressing concern for both the elephants and the local communities.
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