Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupendra Yadav has stressed the need to reduce human-elephant conflict in the country. The Union Minister inaugurated the national level program organized on World Elephant Day in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh yesterday evening. Addressing the program, Mr Yadav emphasised the need for cross sectoral engagement to ensure elephant conservation and human welfare. He said that if we save elephants, forests will also prosper as elephants are known as ‘ecosystem engineers’. While addressing the program, the Union Minister highlighted in detail the efforts made with India’s participation for the conservation of elephants. He said that India has played a leading role in the conservation of elephants. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and state Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap were also present on this occasion.