https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

IFS Officer to Cycle 350 km to Create Awareness About Need for Astute Handling of Man-Animal Conflict

An IFS officer has embarked on a bicycle expedition that will cover 350 km in North Bengal. The officer is 2001-batch officer is the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests of North Bengal, Ujjal Ghosh. He hopes to create mass awareness about the need for conservation to increase the green cover to mitigate man-animal conflicts.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Man-animal conflicts are increasing at an alarming rate these days, one of the main reasons being the rising population in the country. With increasing population and lack of enough space for everyone, the tribal people are forced to cut down trees in forests and establish their habitat in the space of wild animals. This, in turn, provokes the animals leading to confrontation with humans, which is very dangerous for our eco system.

Senior IFS officer Ujjal Ghosh from Bengal is creating buzz with his innovative idea to create awareness among people about such important issues. The 2001-batch officer is the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests of North Bengal,and he has started a bicycle expedition that will cover 350 km to make people aware of man-animal conflict.

Mr. Ghosh’s journey started from the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Siliguri and will cover the entire Dooars region till Sankosh, the river that marks the interstate border of Bengal and Assam. He is pedaling across the wildlife corridor of the region with four other members, Atanu Bhattacharya, Debjyoti Dey, Rupajit Dutta and Suprit Saha, since February 4. Indian Masterminds got in touch with Mr. Ghosh, and although he was very busy with his expedition, he still spoke briefly.

Forest Official of Bengal paddling to raise awareness on man-animal conflict (Credit: The Telegraph)

EXPEDITION

To control man-animal conflicts, creating awareness about the environment is the key. In the forest region of North Bengal, man-animal conflict is often reported. In most of cases, elephants, leopards, and gaurs (Indian bison) enter villages, and damage crops and houses. They also attack people and injure them. In recent times, Himalayan black bears have been straying into human habitation, too. Many times, wild animals also get killed. That is why awareness among villagers on how to respond to such situations is extremely necessary. And so is training for forest staff on how to mitigate such conflicts and handle the situation.

Mr. Ghosh told Indian Masterminds, “We are travelling on the wildlife corridor on bicycles. We interact with people and talk to them about environment and the challenges. On the way, we stop in villages, meet villagers to make them aware about how to avoid man-animal conflict and conserve wildlife and nature. We also tell them how they can contribute towards increasing the green cover in North Bengal.”

The five-member team is also dropping by at different forest beat offices and range offices to speak with the forest staff.

Award-winning picture of elephant calf on fire highlights the burning issue of Man-Animal conflict in Bengal (Credit: Social Media)

VALUABLE TIPS

The tips the officials are giving to the villagers are very helpful in dealing with any kind of man-animal conflict. According to them, whenever such a situation arises, people need to stay calm and call up foresters immediately, instead of threatening the animal. Villagers are also being asked to not fell trees as depleting green cover causes wild animals to venture out into human habitats.

According to a report in 2019, in the past three years, man-elephant conflict has claimed 1,713 human and 373 elephant lives in India.Of this, Bengal, with 307 deaths in the past three years, is emerging as the new arena of man-elephant conflict in the country. There are lots of such reports that suggest that man-animal conflict with other animals is also rising. But with fresh new innovative initiatives like the cycling expedition by forest officers, one can hope that things will be better in the coming days.

Man Animal Conflict in Odisha (Credit: Social Media)

THE RIDERS

This expedition started on February 4 this year. The team of 5 officers including Ujjal Ghosh moved through the forests of Mahananda, Baikunthapur and Jalpaiguri forest divisions. On the next day, they reached Banarhat in Dooars, covering forests like Reti, Bandapani and parts of Jaldapara National Park.Mr. Ujjal Ghosh’s riding companions on this expedition are oncologist Atanu Bhattacharya, three members of the Siliguri-based Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation -Debjyoti Dey, Rupajit Dutta and Suprit Saha.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Set to Promote Two IPS Officers to Director General of Police
Complaint
Complaint Filed Against Senior IPS Officer for Sending Inappropriate Messages
Jammu and Kashmir Government
Three IAS Officers Assigned New Postings in J&K; Check Names Here
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services
Senior IAS Officer Rajendra Ratnoo Opts for Voluntary Retirement
SEBI
SEBI Appoints 3 New Executive Directors: Amit Pradhan, Avneesh Pandey & Sanjay Purao Take Charge
Lateral_entry_resized
No Reservation in Lateral Govt Job Entries, Centre Tells Rajya Sabha Citing Single-Post Rule
DelhiPolice
Top-Level Shake-Up in Delhi Police: 3 IPS Officers Reassigned Amid Security Concerns; Chahal Named DG, Civil Defence
mp
MP’s ₹3 Lakh Crore Infrastructure Boom: 255 km Greenfield Highway, ₹5,500 Cr Tiger Corridor Among Key Road Projects
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Puducherry
Scientific, Strategic, and Sustainable: How Dr Arulrajan is Transforming Puducherry’s Ecology
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Set to Promote Two IPS Officers to Director General of Police
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT