Dehradun, June 27 -- A total of 77 high-risk areas for elephant movement have been identified for mitigation after completion of surveys covering 3,452.4 km of sensitive railway stretches in the country and DNA profiling of 1,911 captive elephants has been completed across 22 states in the country, according to an official statement. During the 21st steering committee meeting of Project Elephant held in Dehradun on Thursday under the chairmanship of Union minister for environment, forest and climate change Bhupender Yadav, the officials discussed the human-elephant conflict which continues to pose a significant challenge to human safety and elephant conservation. The meeting was attended by senior officials, scientists, and field experts from elephant range states, along with representatives from key conservation institutions. They reviewed the progress of Project Elephant and to deliberate on the way forward for elephant conservation in India. The statement stated that the discussions stressed on community involvement in managing human-elephant conflict. On the occasion, the minister released a report on how to mitigate Asian Elephant-Train Collision and an advisory on tusk trimming "It is important to make local communities' active partners in wildlife conservation, especially in areas severely affected by human-wildlife conflict. Effective management of human wildlife conflict is critical to the success of wildlife conservation programmes," Yadav said. The meeting included updates on key initiatives such as the preparation of Regional Action Plans on Human-Elephant Conflict in Southern and North-Eastern India, completion of surveys covering 3,452.4 km of sensitive railway stretches, with 77 high-risk areas identified for mitigation; and the progress of DNA profiling of captive elephants, with 1,911 genetic profiles completed across 22 states, the statement stated. The committee noted that Phase I of the synchronised elephant population estimation in the north-eastern states had been completed, with over 16,500 dung samples collected. "Work is also progressing on the Model Elephant Conservation Plan (ECP) for the Nilgiri Elephant Reserve, which is expected to be finalised by December 2025," the officials told the minister. Stressing the importance of awareness generation, Yadav urged for coordinated efforts with Indian Railways, Ministry of Power, NHAI and mine developers to reduce human-wildlife conflict. "Institutions like Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and State Forest Training institutions should work together to ensure effective implementation of awareness and outreach programmes," he said. The minister called for improving the working conditions and ensuring the social security of frontline forest staff and ground-level conservation workers. The statement stated that the documents released during the meeting included a report on suggested measures to mitigate elephant-train collisions; a comprehensive study on 23 years of human-elephant conflict in Assam, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh; an advisory on safe tusk trimming practices for captive elephants, and the latest edition of "Trumpet", the Project Elephant quarterly newsletter. The committee also discussed preparations for the World Elephant Day celebrations on August 12 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, where the Gaj Gaurav Awards will also be presented. "Key upcoming actions include finalisation of the Nilgiri Elephant Conservation Plan, initiation of a three-year elephant tracking study in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, conducting Management Effectiveness Evaluations (MEE) in Elephant Reserves with CAMPA support, and the development of an integrated conservation strategy for the Ripu-Chirang Elephant Reserve, with a focus on the Udalguri landscape," the statement added. Bhupender Yadav also chaired the 84th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife at IGNFA, Dehradun....