The 21st Steering Committee Meeting of Project Elephant was held on June 26, 2025, at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) in Dehradun, under the chairmanship of Union Environment Minister Mr. Bhupender Yadav. The meeting brought together senior officials, scientists, field experts, and representatives from elephant-range states and conservation institutions to assess the progress of the project and chart the way forward for elephant conservation in India.
Focus on Human-Elephant Conflict and Community Participation
During the meeting, Mr. Bhupender Yadav highlighted the urgency of addressing human-elephant conflict, a persistent challenge that threatens both wildlife and human lives. He stressed the need for community engagement in conservation efforts, especially in conflict-prone regions. He also underlined the importance of improving the working conditions and ensuring social security for frontline forest staff and conservation workers.
Chaired the 21st meeting of the Steering Committee of Project Elephant at Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
— Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) June 26, 2025
On the occasion released a report on how to mitigate Asian Elephant-Train Collision. A report was also released on human-elephant conflict… pic.twitter.com/LJHzhKq4DJ
The Union Minister called for coordinated action with agencies such as the Indian Railways, Ministry of Power, NHAI, and mining developers to mitigate wildlife conflict. He encouraged institutions like SACON, IIFM, WII, and state training centers to collaborate on awareness campaigns and outreach efforts. Mr. Yadav also emphasized the need for data collection and analysis, particularly on elephant deaths due to railway accidents, and urged inter-state knowledge sharing to replicate best practices.
Key Project Updates and Documents Released
Significant updates shared during the meeting included:
- Regional Action Plans on human-elephant conflict in Southern and North-Eastern India.
- Completion of surveys across 3,452.4 km of railway tracks, identifying 77 high-risk areas.
- Progress in DNA profiling of captive elephants, with 1,911 profiles completed across 22 states.
- Completion of Phase-I of elephant population estimation in North-Eastern states, involving 16,500 dung samples.
- Ongoing development of a Model Elephant Conservation Plan for the Nilgiri Elephant Reserve, expected by December 2025.
The meeting also saw the release of key publications, including:
- A report on Elephant-Train collision mitigation.
- A 23-year study on human-elephant conflict in Assam, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh.
- An advisory on safe tusk trimming for captive elephants.
- The latest edition of Trumpet, the Project Elephant quarterly newsletter.
Upcoming Initiatives
The Committee discussed preparations for World Elephant Day celebrations on August 12, 2025, in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, which will feature the Gaj Gaurav Awards. Other upcoming actions include:
- Finalization of the Nilgiri ECP.
- Launch of a three-year elephant tracking study in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.
- Management Effectiveness Evaluations (MEE) in elephant reserves with CAMPA funding.
- Development of a conservation strategy for the Ripu-Chirang Elephant Reserve, with focus on the Udalguri landscape.
The Committee reaffirmed its commitment to an inclusive, community-driven conservation model rooted in traditional knowledge and modern science.
