Wild elephants kill 3 in MP; Will new management plan work?

Three villagers lost their lives in Shahdol district, Madhya Pradesh, after being trampled by two wild elephants believed to have strayed from Bandhavgarh while moving toward the Sanjay Gandhi Tiger Reserve. The incidents occurred in the Sanousi and Doda forests, where locals were collecting tendu leaves. The victims were Umesh Kol, Devganiya Baiga, and 80-year-old Mohalal Patel. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced a compensation of ₹25 lakh for each deceased victim and ordered the capture of the elephants.

Despite prior alerts and additional staffing along known elephant corridors, the attacks could not be prevented. Over the past five years, 27 people have died in similar incidents in the state. In response, the Madhya Pradesh government has approved a ₹47 crore Elephant Management Plan, which includes real-time surveillance, rapid response teams, electronic monitoring, physical barriers, and training programs for villagers and forest personnel to mitigate human-elephant conflicts .

Announced by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on May 13, the four-year plan (2023–24 to 2026–27) aims to protect both people and elephants through a structured, long-term approach.

Elephants from Chhattisgarh often enter Madhya Pradesh through forest corridors. They search for food and water in nearby farms and villages. These visits lead to more human-elephant conflicts in the region.

Urban Administration Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said the government plans to train villagers and create systems to track elephant movements. The goal is to reduce damage and save lives. He said,

“The cabinet approved Rs 47 crore to keep people and wild elephants safe.”

What is the plan?

In 2024, a government report revealed that around 400 elephants had been moved from neighbouring areas to Madhya Pradesh over the past five years. Development activities like mining and road construction have damaged elephant habitats. These changes have increased the risk of human-elephant conflicts. Madhya Pradesh must act quickly to manage these challenges.

The project will be led by the Forest Department. The plan includes setting up control rooms, installing e-surveillance systems, building fences, and using both traditional and modern methods to reduce conflict. The government has already spent Rs 1.52 crore in the first two years and plans to spend Rs 20 crore in 2025–26 and Rs 25.59 crore in 2026–27. The plan focuses on areas in and around forests known to be elephant corridors.

One of the main features of the plan is tracking elephant movement. The government will use radio collars and satellite tracking to monitor the location of elephant herds. This data will help predict their path and send early warnings to villages. Along with this, AI tools will support the analysis of elephant behavior and improve response planning. Control rooms will coordinate this information and direct teams on the ground during emergencies.

Will it work?

Retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests R. Sreenivasa Murthy shared insights on the challenges behind these conflicts. He said,

“Human-animal contact is a significant issue. Two key factors matter—whether habitat quality is falling and how crop raiding brings elephants into villages.”

He explained that elephants need about 500 kg of food daily. An adult elephant weighs around 3,000 to 5,000 kg and consumes nearly 1% of its body weight every day. While feeding, they often destroy far more vegetation than they eat. This means elephants need rich, productive forests to meet their needs. In central India, forest productivity is falling due to deforestation, fires, and human interference.

Murthy warned that unless forest health is restored, these conflicts will continue.

“Forests are degrading. Unless we protect them from fires and illegal felling, there’s little we can do. Forests regenerate naturally, but only if left undisturbed.”

He added that the plan includes important steps like training, fencing, and tracking elephants, but he believes some parts—like solar fencing—won’t work. “Solar fencing won’t help. Elephants are smart. In Karnataka, they now use discarded railway tracks set in concrete—more effective.”

Wildlife expert and environmental activist Ajay Dubey criticizes elephant management plans as "government rhetoric that exists only on paper." He explains,

"Elephants don't recognize state boundaries between Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh constitute the primary elephant landscape. These states must collaborate on a unified management plan, yet Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are developing separate strategies."

Dubey highlights a critical communication breakdown, noting that the MP government fails to coordinate with neighboring states and even lacks proper dialogue between its own national park administrations. He points out that state officials remain unaware of basic migration patterns—when and how elephants move from Chhattisgarh into Madhya Pradesh. "Without such fundamental information," Dubey questions, "how can any effective management system be implemented?"

Community and conservation

To tackle rising human-elephant conflict, the government will form Rapid Response Teams equipped with vehicles, tools, and trained personnel—including forest officials and support staff. These teams will act swiftly when elephants enter human settlements, managing the situation on the ground, guiding villagers, and reducing panic.

Supporting them will be Haathi Mitra Dals—or “Elephant Friend Teams”—comprising local community members trained to work alongside forest staff. These volunteers help track elephant movements, share real-time updates, calm anxious residents, and assist in safely guiding elephants back to the forest, contributing to both conflict mitigation and long-term conservation.

Another major part of the plan is training. Villagers living near forests will receive training on how to respond to elephant sightings. The goal is to reduce fear, avoid provoking animals, and teach safe behaviours. Forest staff and government officials will also undergo similar training. The training will help standardise the response and reduce risks during interactions with elephants.

As per the plan, the government will combine old and new methods to keep elephants away from farms and villages. The state will use natural barriers instead of relying solely on electric or solar-powered fences, which can be costly and often fail. These include chili fences, citrus trees, and bee hives—things elephants usually avoid. These methods have worked in other areas and helped reduce crop damage at a lower cost.

MP: A New Home for Elephants

The government also plans to issue timely alerts using WhatsApp messages, radio broadcasts, and loudspeakers. These alerts will warn villagers about the presence of elephants nearby. Early warnings can help people avoid danger and reduce the chances of confrontation. The state’s goal is not just response but prevention.

The decision to approve this plan follows several serious incidents. Last year, 11 elephants died after consuming fungus-infected Kodo millet crops. Nine of them were pregnant. Soon after, an elephant killed two villagers. These tragic events led the state to act quickly and design a more structured and long-term plan. But the issue isn’t limited to one part of the state. Elephant sightings and human-wildlife conflicts have been reported from other districts like Rewa and Shahdol, showing a broader pattern.

At the national level, human deaths caused by elephants have increased steadily. Between 2020-21 and 2023-24, fatalities rose from 464 to 629—a 36 percent rise, according to the State of India’s Environment (SOE) 2025.

This national trend highlights the urgency for better management and safety efforts, including Madhya Pradesh’s new plan.

Experts argue that the plan can only succeed if local communities are fully involved. Many people living near forests already know how to deal with elephants. But they lack formal training and support. By giving them tools, information, and a clear role, the state hopes to prevent future deaths and reduce property loss.

Managing Jumbos

Murthy talked about the proposed Haathi Mitra Dal and compared it with the Tiger Friends program in Madhya Pradesh. He wasn’t sure how effective these teams really are. He said, "Tiger Friend teams exist in some locations, but not everywhere." In Pench, some villagers help with conservation, but it’s not always effective. A tiger recently died after falling into a well—news came too late.”

He added, “The real model to learn from is Chhattisgarh. They have managed elephants for nearly two decades. They use a mobile app to track elephant locations. Local scouts ride motorcycles early in the morning to find elephant herds and update the app. This data goes straight to villagers and forest officials. It helps reduce surprise encounters and improves safety for everyone.”

Murthy explained that this model focuses on avoidance. When people know where elephants are, they can avoid those areas. He said, “Real-time tracking and sharing this information can stop conflicts before they start.” He noted that Madhya Pradesh seems to be adopting this system, which could bring better results if used well.

This model focuses on avoidance. When people know where elephants are, they can avoid those areas. Murthy also stressed that awareness efforts must go beyond formal training. “The best education is telling people not to disturb elephants. Awareness should be local, simple, and repeated often,” he said. In his view, technological tools are helpful, but social understanding and behavioural change matter more.

The plan approved by the cabinet is one of the most detailed efforts Madhya Pradesh has taken to deal with elephant-related issues. Its success will depend on how closely government agencies work with villagers, how well forest health is restored, and whether preventive systems are maintained over time.

This is not just a wildlife issue—it’s a human safety issue. A lasting solution needs both ecological recovery and active local participation. Without fixing the root causes—degraded forests, limited food, and poor coordination—more people and more elephants will suffer. The state has taken a big step, but now the real work begins.

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