In a significant step towards strengthening wildlife conservation and managing human-elephant conflicts, Odisha Forest Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia on Friday inaugurated the state’s first elephant training centre at Simelpadar in Kalahandi district.
The newly established facility is located in the Karlapat region, one of Odisha’s important elephant corridors, and is expected to play a crucial role in monitoring elephant movement, understanding behavioural patterns, and developing effective strategies to reduce increasing incidents of human-elephant conflict.
The inauguration took place during the minister’s visit to Kalahandi as part of the state government’s programmes commemorating two years of the BJP-led government in Odisha.
Forest department officials noted that the Karlapat landscape has witnessed frequent elephant movement in recent years, leading to recurring encounters between wild elephants and local communities. The training centre has been designed to support forest personnel in handling such situations more efficiently while ensuring the safety of both humans and wildlife.
Speaking at the event, Minister Khuntia emphasised the importance of scientific wildlife management and conservation. He stated that the centre would help strengthen efforts to minimize conflicts involving elephants and improve the management of critical elephant corridors across the state.
“The protection of elephant habitats and effective corridor management are essential for ensuring coexistence between wildlife and local communities. This centre will contribute significantly to conservation efforts and conflict mitigation,” the minister said.
In addition to the elephant training centre, Khuntia also inaugurated a wildlife monitoring tower in the Karlapat region. The tower is expected to enhance surveillance capabilities, enabling forest officials to track wildlife movement more effectively and respond quickly to potential threats or emergencies.
Forest authorities expressed optimism that the twin initiatives would improve conservation outcomes in the region, which serves as an important habitat for elephants and several other wildlife species. The projects are also expected to strengthen Odisha’s broader wildlife protection framework and support long-term ecological sustainability.
The launch of the state’s first elephant training centre marks a major milestone in Odisha’s conservation journey, reflecting the government’s focus on balancing wildlife protection with community safety in areas affected by elephant movement.
