THE Government of Maharashtra is awaiting Central Government’s nod to establish State’s first elephant reserve in Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR), a year after tabling a proposal for the same. Jayeram Gowda, Field Director, NNTR submitted the proposal of Navegaon Elephant Reserve (NER), last year in August to the then Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Wildlife (PCCF, Wildlife) Maheep Gupta.The initial NER proposal was of 4133 sq km which was later cut short to 1456 sq km by the State Government. The proposal was channelised via the then PCCF (Wildlife). “We are unaware about the current status of the proposal as it is under consideration before the Government. However, the proposed reserve will be a boon for elephant tourism and their conservation in Maharashtra,” said Gowda. As per the sources, the State Government has forwarded the proposal to Centre and no decision has been taken so far from there.

 

The decision to have a dedicated elephant reserve was taken after a herd of 23 elephants entered Gondia district in Maharashtra from Chhattisgarh and stayed there for many days. Thereafter, the herd moved to Gadchiroli district and then Telangana. The herd again entered Gadchiroli district and their frequent movement is still going on in border areas of Maharashtra andTelangana. Due to elephant movement in Gondia and Gadchiroli districts, many man-elephant conflicts also took place in last couple of years, in which loss of human life and property loss were also reported. One elephant death was also reported in Gadchiroli district last year. Keeping the developments in mind, the Forest Department decided to establish elephant reserve between Gondia and Gadchiroli districts. Of the total area of 1456 sqkm, 628 sq km in Gondia district while 827 sq km in Gadchiroli district was allocated. In Gondia, 628 sq km area includes a 252 sq km core area in Navegaon National Park. As per sources, the number of elephants are still changing as there is constant movement of individual elephants from Chhattisgarh. The population would be somewhere between 20 and 30 individuals, most of them in the Gadchiroli and Gondia districts that is connected to the Chhattisgarh population.