Project RE-HAB

• 16 Mar 2021

Why in News

A pilot project RE-HAB (Reducing Elephant-Human Attacks using Bees) has been launched in Karnataka which entails installing bee boxes along the periphery of the forest and the villages to mitigate human-elephant conflict.

• These spots are located on the periphery of Nagarahole National Park and Tiger Reserve, which is a known conflict zone.

Key Point

• About:
  
  • It is intended to create “bee fences” to thwart elephant attacks in human habitations using honeybees.
• Advantages:
  
  • The bee boxes will dissuade elephants without causing any harm to them.
  • Extremely cost-effective as compared to various other measures such as digging trenches or erecting fences.
  • The initiative will increase honey production and farmers’ income.
• Implementing Agency:
  
  • Project is an initiative of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
  • It is a sub-mission of KVIC’s National Honey Mission.
• Honey Mission:
  
  • The KVIC has launched the Honey Mission to provide awareness, training and ‘Bee Boxes’ along with Bee Colonies to the farmers.
  • The mission was launched in August 2017 in line with the ‘Sweet Revolution’.
    
    • The 'Sweet Revolution' was launched in 2016 to promote beekeeping and associated activities.

Nagarhole National Park

• About:
  
  • It is also known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park.
  • It was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and was upgraded into a national park in 1988. It was declared as the 37^th Tiger reserve under Project Tiger in 1999.
  • There are 51 Tiger reserves in India.
    
    • The latest addition in this list is Srivilliputhur Meghamalai Tiger Reserve of Tamil Nadu, which got approval in 2021.
• Location:
  
  • The Park lies in the Western Ghats and is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
• Rivers:
  
  • The Nagarahole River flows through the park, which joins the Kabini River which also is a boundary between Nagarahole and Bandipur Ntional Park.
• Flora:
  
  • The vegetation consists mainly of moist deciduous forests with predominating trees of teak and rosewood.
• Fauna:
  
  • Asian elephants, chital (spotted deer), Indian mouse deer, gaur, stripe-necked and ruddy mongooses, grey langur, bonnet macaque, Asian wild dog, leopard, tiger, sloth bear among others.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission

• KVIC is a statutory body established under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act, 1956.
• The KVIC is charged with the planning, promotion, organisation and implementation of programmes for the development of Khadi and other village industries in the rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary.
• It functions under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Source: TH