Context:
Recently, the Elephant Corridor Report 2023 was released by the Ministry of Environment.
Key Points from the Elephant Corridors of India 2023 Report:
- New Corridors: Centre has identified over 60 new corridors used by elephants for movement between two habitats, taking the total number of identified passages across the country to 150.
- Previously there were 88 Elephant Corridors.
- West Bengal has the highest number (26) of identified elephant corridors in India, accounting for over 17 per cent of all the passages.
- Corridor Mapping: The report mapped 150 elephant corridors in 15 states, categorizing them into four geographic regions: northern, northeast, east-central, and southern.
- About 84 per cent (126) of the identified elephant corridors occur within the state boundaries.
- About 13 per cent (19) are interstate elephant corridors that extend into two or more states. There were six transnational corridors between India and Nepal.
- Increase in Elephant Movement: Approximately 40% of mapped corridors have seen an increase in elephant movement, with some regions showing stability.
- Expansion of Elephant Ranges: Elephants have expanded their ranges in regions like Vidarbha, southern Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and northern Andhra Pradesh.
- Corridor Impairment: Despite habitat rejuvenation efforts, 10% of elephant corridors have become impaired over the years, due to factors like increased human activity.
- Loss of Functionality: 15 corridors have lost functionality due to various factors, including anthropogenic pressure.
- Decline in Usage: 29 corridors (19% of the total) have recorded a decline in elephant usage, primarily due to encroachment, mining, and infrastructure development.
About Project Elephant:
- It was launched by the Government of India in the year 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with following objectives:
- To protect elephants, their habitat & corridors
- To address issues of man-animal conflict
- Welfare of captive elephants
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provides financial and technical support to major elephant range states in the country through the project.
- Conservation Status (Asian Elephant):
- IUCN Red List: Endangered
- CITES: Appendix I.
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I.
Elephant Corridor
- Corridor is a strip of land that facilitates the movement of elephants between two or more viable habitat patches.
- Corridors are directly beneficial in buffering wildlife populations from the perils of habitat fragmentation, they have become a cornerstone for wildlife conservation across the globe.
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Suggestions:
- Restoration Efforts for impaired corridors, including habitat enrichment, demarcation, and measures to curb human interventions.
- Periodic Monitoring: To ensure their protection, understand elephant movement patterns, and proactively address human-elephant conflicts.
News Source: New Indian Express
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August 30, 2023