Madhya Pradesh government considering walls, fences to end man-animal conflict

Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Vijay Shah on Saturday said the state government was considering putting up stone boundary walls and solar power fences to permanently end man-animal conflicts.

Speaking to PTI, the minister said the state government was also working to provide land on pattas (lease) to tribals and forest dwellers under the Forest Rights Act.

"The biggest problem right now is that (wild) animals enter fields close to jungles for grazing and destroy crops. Animals also attack humans and sometimes lives are lost," he said.

The state government is thinking of erecting stone boundary walls and solar power fences, wherever necessary in areas close to forests to protect crops from animals and end man-animal conflicts permanently.

Apart from this, the state government was also working to provide land on pattas (lease) to tribals and forest dwellers under the Forest Rights Act, the minister said.

On the direction of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, virtual conferences are being held with officials to facilitate land transfers to tribals under the Act, the minister said, adding that the process is being expedited to provide the same before August 15.

Efforts were also underway to generate employment in the tribal-dominated and forested areas to make the state self-reliant, he said.

Shah further said he was overwhelmed that Madhya Pradesh had regained its tiger state status and praised forest department officials for the feat.

"We have doubled our tiger population to 526 in just eight years instead of the 10-year target that was talked about," he added.