People have to be educated: Foreign expert on man-elephant conflict

Renowned documentary filmmaker from Switzerland, Brigitte Uttar Kornetzky, on Thursday said that to decrease the conflict between humans and elephants, people of Assam will have to be educated.

Known for her films like –Where The Elephant Sleeps and Imagine, the Sky, Kornetzky was inGolaghat district to shoot her upcoming project. While interacting with thelocal media persons, she said, "There is increasing madness. People have to beeducated; this is one of the first measures to be taken."

"The forest is shrinkingand degrading and elephants have to travel from one fragment of the forest tothe other. It is very unfortunate that they are chased by the people andespecially by the youths. This has become a new sport. That is not good," sheadded.

"These issues must beaddressed and youths must be taught and we will think about programmes to putthat in place," Kornetzky said.

She further praised Pradip Bhuyan's initiative 'Hati-Bandhu' and said, "They are planting paddy fields for elephants, some others are planting banana trees. These are absolutely wonderful and messages like these, we have to spread."