Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai inaugurated ‘Gajrath Yatra’, a unique initiative to stop human-elephant conflict

Vermilion plants planted in Ranjita Stadium premises, gave message of environmental protection

Raipur 21 June 2025: On the occasion of International Yoga Day, Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai flagged off the ‘Gajrath Yatra’ in a program organized at Ranjita Stadium premises in Jashpur today. This innovative initiative has been started with the aim of reducing human-elephant conflict in Chhattisgarh and spreading public awareness for wildlife conservation. Through this yatra, the message of elephant behavior, safety measures and co-existence will be conveyed to the people by reaching schools, gram panchayats and haat-bazaars. The Chief Minister said on this occasion that community participation and awareness is extremely important to reduce the increasing conflict between humans and elephants. ‘Gajrath Yatra’ will become a meaningful medium in this direction, which will help in reducing human-wildlife conflict by educating people. He also honored those employees of the Forest Department who have done remarkable work in this field. During the program, Chief Minister Sai gave the message of environmental protection by planting a vermilion plant in the stadium premises. Under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, he appealed to the citizens to plant as many trees as possible. He said that trees not only provide life-giving oxygen, but are also essential for water conservation, biodiversity and climate balance.

Chief Minister Sai also released a short film and booklet prepared by the Forest Department, which provides information about precautions related to elephants, understanding their behavior and safety measures. This material will be distributed among school children, villagers and local communities. Chief Minister Sai said that environmental protection is not only the responsibility of the government but also of every citizen. He gave information about various schemes and awareness campaigns run by the state government, which are helpful in sustainable development and the creation of green Chhattisgarh. It is worth mentioning that ‘Gajrath Yatra’ is part of the comprehensive strategy of the state government, which is dedicated to ensuring a safe environment for wildlife through sustainable development, biodiversity conservation and participation of local communities. At the end of the programme, the Chief Minister congratulated all the participants and the Forest Department team for this effort. On this occasion, Social Welfare Minister Laxmi Rajwade, Yoga Commission Chairman Roop Narayan Sinha, former MP Ranvijay Singh Judeo, Padmashree Jageshwar Yadav, MLA Raimuni Bhagat, District Panchayat Chairman Salik Sai, Matikala Board Chairman Shambhunath Chakraborty, Construction Workers Board Chairman Rampratap Singh, Nagar Palika Chairman Arvind Bhagat, Vice President Yash Pratap Singh Judeo, Divisional Commissioner Narendra Dugga, IG Deepak Jha, Collector Rohit Vyas, SSP Shashi Mohan Singh along with several public representatives, citizens, school students and representatives of yoga institutions were present.