Forest Minister Binay Krishna Barman said in the Assembly here on Thursday that the increase in incidents of elephants straying into the human habitats in West Bengal was due to the breakdown in the food cycle in the forests.
The Minister accused the erstwhile Left Front government of not taking steps to ensure proper food cycle for elephants.
Over the past 10 years, over 240 people have died in cases of human-elephant conflict in south Bengal.
The Forest Department had adopted appropriate strategies to reduce man-animal conflict, the Minister said, referring to erection of power fences and judicious use of tranquillisation techniques.
On the issue of checking the tigers straying into the villages of Sunderbans archipelago, Mr. Barman said nylon-net fencing had been undertaken.
He said the Forest Department was seeking cooperation of local people in combating animal depredation.
