Guwahati: President Droupadi Murmu on Friday urged the people to keep elephant corridors free from obstructions to facilitate their easy movement.
Murmu, who was in two-day visit in Assam, on Friday inaugurated Gaj Utsav-2023 at Kaziranga.
“If a deep analysis of the human-elephant conflict (HEC) is carried out, it is evident that there are obstructions along their natural corridors and “humans are responsible for this,” Murmu said.
Murmu further said, “Elephants are wise and kind animals, and people should treat them with compassion,”.
“It is our duty to conserve elephant corridors as these can serve as carbon sink and help people tackle the challenges of climate change,” she added.
She further added, “The elephant is our national heritage animal and by protecting it, we are protecting our national heritage,”.
“What further touched me was that they always entered the forests barefoot as a mark of respect, and today when I took the jeep safari in the Kaziranga National Park, the officials and guards told me that they also accord the same respect to forests,” Murmu said.
Man-elephant conflict has been rising in Assam and other parts of the country due to the shrinking of forest covers.