RANCHI: In the wake of recent cases of rampages by elephants, experts claim urbanization is to be blamed for their occasional stray into residential areas. In the past few decades, successive governments have constructed dams, allowed establishment of industries, given green signals to several mining projects in areas which were purely part of elephants' corridor.

"The future of elephants looks bleak in this state. More and more elephants are straying into towns every day and they are attacked by the villagers," said D S Srivastava, a wildlife expert. The forest department has prepared a list of 930 villages which are potentially under threat from wild elephants. As a surprise only 10 anti-depredation squads of villagers have been pressed into service to chase the elephants away. In face of insufficient trained manpower to drive away the jumbos, villagers often resort to attack on the elephants out of fear.

Indian elephants have been listed as an endangered species by International Union for Conservation of Nature and should be given the highest level of protection under Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. The forest department claims to be watchful but the survival of the elephant is under threat owing to the growing man animal conflict and degradation of natural habitats and poaching.

A forest department report said a total of 899 people have been trampled to death by elephants and 1,450 people injured by them in Jharkhand since 2000. Principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) A K Mishra agreed that rampages has increased in the recent past. "Human encroachments of forests lead to such developments," said Mishra.

Elephants migrate from one place to another when they run out of food. In Jharkhand, the elephants live in Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary in East Singhbhum district which borders Purulia and Midnapore districts in neighbouring West Bengal. In search of more food, elephants from the sanctuary often migrate to Midnapore where there is abundance of bamboo trees. The elephants wander off to Purulia, Midnapore and also to Odisha from Dalma, very often.

"The sanctuary is a century-old corridor. Now the government has constructed Chandil Dam, Subarnarekha canals, allowed several companies to mine in East Singhbhum district. Tuskers moving out of Dalma sanctuary encounter obstructions in its way and then move into the escape routes it comes across," said a senior forest officer.

Mishra claimed he has instructed all the divisional forest officers to maintain 24/7 track of the elephants. But recent rampages in Hazaribag have exposed the inabilities of the forest department. The herd entered Hazaribag entered the district via Dumka and Giridih from Purulia.

"The foresters are also to be blamed for the menace," said a retired forest ranger. " In a bid to avoid duties like upkeep and maintenance of the tuskers, DFOs chase the elephants out of the forest division that comes under their jurisdiction," he added.