The Odisha government on Saturday announced the launch of Gaj Utsav, a flagship campaign on elephants in partnership with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

Addressing a function on World Elephant Day, environment, forest and climate change minister Pradip Kumar Amat said: “The state government is committed to the cause of wildlife conservation and improvement of wildlife habitats. I take this opportunity to announce that the Odisha government and the Wildlife Trust of India are launching a year-long Gaj Utsav campaign that gathers various stakeholders to focus on elephant conservation efforts.”

Union minister of environment, forest and climate change, Bhupender Yadav, and Union minister of state for environment, forest and climate change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, were present on the occasion.

Since its inception in 2018, the highly acclaimed Gaj Utsav has been making waves across elephant range states. “This year’s celebration in Odisha marks another milestone in the ongoing efforts to safeguard these magnificent animals and their habitats. Over the last 5 years, the campaign has successfully engaged 75,000 people across the country,” said a media release.

Odisha is home to over 1,900 elephants spanning three elephant reserves and having 12 identified elephant corridors.

“The campaign seeks to encourage collective action among policymakers, media, infrastructure agencies, legal professionals, and wildlife experts, fostering insightful discussions on challenges, conservation strategies, and sustainable development models for elephant protection,” said the release.

Vivek Menon, founder and executive director of Wildlife Trust of India, said: “We are partnering with the Odisha forest department to pass on the message of elephant
corridors and the need for habitat linkages to the common people.”