27 Apr 2022

As Odisha reports a significant number of unnatural elephant deaths and tries to find ways to reduce man-elephant conflict, Centre’s decision to curtail funds under Project Elephant has left the Forest department in a quandary as it apprehends conservation measures may be hit.Sources in the Forest and Environment department said as per Centre’s fresh directive, funding under Project Elephant to the State may reduce by 75 per cent of what was approved in the last (2021-22) fiscal.

Reliable sources said, the State had submitted estimation for Rs 15 crore last fiscal of which around Rs 12 crore was approved. “However, this year, we have been asked to submit estimates of Rs 3 crore as a budget of only Rs 35 crore has been set aside under Project Elephant for the entire country,” sources added.

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