"People need to understand elephants if they want to curb man-animal conflict. Elephants are the most intelligent animals on the planet, and they communicate everything through their behaviour if only we care to listen," says Anand Shinde, a well-known elephant expert and conservationist, often called the 'elephant whisperer'.
Shinde, who has spent the past 15 years working for elephant conservation, was in Nagpur on the eve of World Elephant Day (August 12) to be felicitated by Vanrai Foundation and the Press Club. In an interactive session, he offered a rare glimpse into the secret lives of elephants - their elephant social hierarchy, deep emotional bonds with their caretakers, feeding patterns, and the intricate ways they communicate with humans and with one another.
Founder of Trunk Call, The Wildlife Foundation, Shinde has been at the fore-front of several conflict-resolution projects. His work combines scientific understanding with community participation, focusing on building trust between local residents and the elephants that often wander into human settlements.
Also Read | World Elephant Day: Conservation plans to be discussed in Coimbatore tomorrow.
Instead, large artificial tanks are being constructed at Gorewada, Police Line Takli, and Kachchi Visa Bhavan in Lakadganj for big idols, with smaller tanks planned for household idols. Although no separate new guidelines have been issued for Plaster of Paris (POP) idols, the state's August 1 circular mandates that POP idols must be immersed only in artificial tanks and cannot be sold as "clay idols."
The High Court has also banned the use of chemical and non-biodegradable paints.Idol makers are required to register at NMC's zonal offices. The deposit fee, reduced last year from 5,000 to 500, is expected to remain unchanged. NMC is appealing to citizens to opt for clay idols under two feet for home worship.
For Ganesh mandals, an online registration facility is available; 12 mandals registered on Sunday and another 10 on Monday. These numbers will be officially confirmed during Tuesday's meeting. In a major relief to organisers, all key fees have been waived this year too.
This includes the 200 inspection fee, deposits ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 for mandap permissions, and charges from the fire, garden, and property tax departments for mandaps, even on private plots. The 500 cleanliness fee has also been scrapped.
The joint meeting will also discuss road repairs along procession routes, immersion arrangements, safety measures, and steps to control POP idol usage. Police commissioner Ravinder Singal, NMC commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari, and senior officials from both departments will be present to finalise the city's festival preparedness.