Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the Sonai-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary of Assam’s Sonitpur district and the return of elephants during the 138th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’. Mr Modi said that elephants had once abandoned this region due to increased human interference in the forest. However, following the clearing of forest encroachments about three years ago, elephants have returned to Sonai-Rupai.

 

The Sonai-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the foothills of Himalayas, covers an area of 220 square kilometres. It was officially notified as a wildlife sanctuary on September 4, 1998. According to the Assam Forest Department’s 2024 elephant census, 140 elephants were recorded within the sanctuary.

 

The wildlife sanctuary once which used to be the home for hundreds of elephants, had abandoned it due to various human activities and land encroachments in to the sanctuary. But with the eviction of these encroached lands and strong emphasis on restoring greenery through afforestation have restored the ecological balance of the sanctuary.

 

As a result, herds of elephants are now being seen even in areas where they had not been spotted for many years. The mention of the Sonai-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary in the Mann ki Baat programme by Prime Minister Narendra Modi carries a great significance in terms of the conservation efforts being carried out in the sanctuary.