Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai flagged off the 'Gajrath Yatra' on Saturday, a new state initiative that will help mitigate human-elephant conflict and encourage wildlife conservation by creating awareness among the community and providing education.
The campaign launch ceremony was held in Jashpur district, which is among the regions most impacted by increasing instances of human-elephant conflict.
The initiative aims at sensitizing local communities, especially residents in forest fringe villages, to elephant behavior, safety protocols and the need to live alongside wildlife.
As a part of the awareness campaign, such information will be shared in schools, panchayat offices (gram panchayats) and weekly village markets (haat-bazaars).
The initiative involves distributing specially prepared booklets and showing a short educational film made by the state forest department. These details spell out major precautions, body language of elephants and measures to keep humans safe.
"Community outreach and sensitization are very important to mitigating the growing human-elephant conflict," added Sai. "'Gajrath Yatra' will be a soulful initiative in this direction by educating and empowering people at grassroots level."
Sai also participated in an afforestation drive organized at the event by planting a 'sindoor' sapling. He urged others to join the current 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (One Tree in Mother's Name) campaign, which appeals to citizens to plant trees in their mothers' honor.
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