THE HINDU
November 7, 2014

Soumya Das

The Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) has taken up several initiatives in collaboration with government institutes to provide alternative livelihood to the residents of Bali Island in Sunderbans in West Bengal to reduce man-tiger conflict.

WPSI is working with Central Institute of Freshwater Agriculture (CIFA) and Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) that are leading institutes under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in this regard.

According to a research paper titled 'Wildlife Man Struggle in West Bengal - A Serious Social Issue', more than 150 incidents of tigers straying into villages in Sunderbans have taken place.

The residents of Bali Island are being provided with facilities and equipments for fish breeding, hatcheries and poultry products so that they venture less into the forest.

The CIFA has distributed nets, fish seed, fertilizers as well as saplings of cauliflower and cabbage to the people of Bali Island to enable them earn their livelihood through agriculture and fishery. Measures are also being taken to provide the islanders with basic veterinary training so as to enable them to prevent the spread of disease in livestock.

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