Lakhimpur Kheri, Oct 27 : After 'Bagh Mitra', the Uttar Pradesh forest department has brought in "gajamitra" (friends of elephants) to check increasing incidents of man-elephant conflicts in the villages near Katarniaghat wildlife sanctuary of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR). The forest officials have shortlisted nearly 100 villagers from areas along the Indo-Nepal border and provided the local people with training and equipment to handle elephants that migrate from Nepal through the Bardia-Katarniaghat and Tatarganj-Shuklaphanta corridors. The movement of the jumbos is often accompanied by large-scale destruction and death. According to official records of the forest department, in the past year, seven individuals were killed in wild elephant attacks, and over 500 acres of crops damaged in the Terai region of the state. Akash Deep Badhawan, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Katarniaghat, said, "Three deaths were reported in Katarniaghat in 2022-23. This year, we have selected five villages that have been most affected, and from each of these villages, we have chosen 20 individuals to serve as 'gajamitra'." He added that the "gajamitra" will be tasked with patrolling the area on foot alongside forest officials, acting as informants, and coordinating with forest officials from Nepal regarding elephant movement. "To support these efforts, we have enlisted the assistance of the Nature Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS), a Kolkata-based NGO, which has not only provided training to the villagers but also installed 12 community toilets, solar lighting, and gear for the 'gajamitra' to ensure their safety during patrolling in forest areas," the DFO said. Abhishek, project officer of NEWS, said, "We are working closely with people in the five fringe villages and educating them about elephant behaviour. For instance, we have conducted workshops to teach villagers how to effectively use red chilli flakes to deflect elephants from their crops." "The initial phase of this initiative has been successful, resulting in no human casualties. The programme will expand to five more villages in the near future," he added. Meanwhile, Badhawan said the villagers are advised to patrol while wearing reflector vests. "They can alert other villagers to the movement of elephants using whistles and also coordinate with officials from Nepal. The selected villagers will be equipped with animal deterrent sprays to protect themselves in the event of an attack." /IANS