Lok Sabha Question No. 1 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-15
Subject: Accidental Deaths of Wild Animals
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Partha Pratim Ray

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1

TO BE ANSWERED ON. 15.12.2017

## Accidental Deaths of Wild Animals

## 1. SHRI PARTHA PRATIM RAY:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  accidental  deaths  or  immature  deaths  of  wild  animals  particularly elephants and tigers are increasing in different parts of the country;
- (b) if so, the number of accidental deaths that have been reported during the last three years and the current year, State and years-wise; and
- (c) the measures taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to stop the accidental deaths of wild animals?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a)&(b) Reports of accidental death of wild animals particularly elephants and tigers have been received in the Ministry from the different parts of the county. However, as per the available information, accidental death of tigers has not increased. In case of elephant, the information provided by the State Governments shows oscillation in  figures  of  elephant  death.  State-wise  details  of  accidental  death  of  tigers  and elephants during last three years and the current year is given in the Annexure.
- (c) The  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  reduce  death  of  wildlife  including elephants  and tigers are given below:

i. Financial and technical assistance is provided to States/UTs  under the Centrally Sponsored  Schemes  of  'Integrated  Development  of  Wildlife  Habitat',  'Project Tiger'  and 'Project Elephant'.

ii.  The  States  have  notified  good  elephant  habitats  as  'Elephant  Reserves',  for better  conservation  and  management of elephants.  So far 29 Elephant  Reserves have been established in 14 States.

iii. Elephants and  tigers are  included  under  Schedule I of the Wild  Life (Protection) Act, 1972, to provide it highest degree of legal protection.

iv. A general advisory has been issued jointly to all the railway zones and relevant States  Governments suggesting measures to prevent collision of trains with wild elephants. Some of the important recommendations are given below:

- (a) Clearance of vegetation on the sides of railway tracks.
- (b) Underpasses/overpasses/girder bridges across vulnerable stretches of railway tracks to allow safe passage elephants.
- (c) Signage boards at selected points to alert train drivers.
- (d) Sensitization programmes for Train Drivers/Guards/Station Masters.
- (e) Engagement of elephant trackers and communication with Station Masters.
- (f) To keep Railway tracks free from food wastes, that attracts elephants.
- v.  A  permanent  coordination  committee  has  been  constituted  jointly  by  the Ministry  of  Railways  and  the  Ministry  of  Environment  and  Forests  to  share information and monitor the implementation of the advisory.
- vi. Regular and extensive patrolling of forest areas and anti poaching measures by frontline filed staff of the State Forest Departments.
- vii.  Trainings  and  awareness  camps  are  organised  regularly  for  local  people  for conservation of elephants and other wildlife.
- viii. Local communities are organised into Joint Forest Management Committees/Eco-development  Committees  for  protection  of  wildlife,  elephant habitat, including elephant corridors.
- ix. To reduce man-animal conflict and to avoid retaliatory killing of wild animals compensation is provided to local communities for loss of their property and life caused by wild animals including tigers and elephants.
- xi.  Creating  awareness  among  neighbouring  villagers  and  general  public  on importance  of  protecting  wild  animals  including    tigers,  elephants  and  their habitats.
- xii. Chief Wildlife Wardens has been requested to take up the issue with electricity departments to prevent sagging of electric transmission lines and maintenance to minimum ground clearance as per rules.

xiii. The 2006 amendment of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 enacted section 38  O  (1)(b)  and  38  O  (1)  (g)  which  mandate  the  National  Tiger  Conservation Authority (NTCA) to evaluate and assess various aspects of sustainable  ecology and disallow any unsustainable land use.  In addition section 38 V (3) (b) of the said Act, provides for dispersal habitats and corridor for spill over population of wild  animals  from  the  designated  core  areas  of  tiger  reserves  or  from  tiger breeding habitats within other protected areas, which are safeguarded by letter and spirit of section 38 O (1)(g).

xiv.  The  Ministry  along  with  the  Wildlife  Institute  of  India,  Dehradun,  has published a document titled 'Eco Friendly Measures to mitigate impacts of linear infrastructure  on  wildlife'  to  guide  field  managers  and  engineers  to  design  and build smart green infrastructure.

ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) AND (b) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 1  REGARDING  'ACCIDENTAL DEATHS  OF  WILD  ANIMALS'  RAISED  BY SHRI  PARTHA  PRATIM  RAY DUE FOR REPLY ON 15.12.2017.

## DETAILS OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF TIGERS DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS AND CURRENT YEAR, AS REPORTED BY STATES

| State          | 2014   | 2015   | 2016   | 2017 (till 30.11.2017)   |   Total |
|----------------|--------|--------|--------|--------------------------|---------|
| Bihar          | -      | 1      | -      | -                        |       1 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 1      | 1      | 2      | 1                        |       5 |
| Maharashtra    | 1      | 1      | -      | -                        |       2 |
| Uttarakhand    | 1      | -      | 1      | 1                        |       3 |
| Total          | 3      | 3      | 3      | 2                        |      11 |

DETAILS OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF ELEPHANTS  DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS AND CURRENT YEAR, AS REPORTED BY STATES

- I. Elephant  casualties  in  train  accidents  during  last  three  years  and  the current year.

| S.No.   | State         |   2014-15 |   2015-16 | 2016-17   |   2017-18 (upto November, 2017) |
|---------|---------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------------------------------|
| 1       | Assam         |         3 |         3 | 10        |                               4 |
| 2       | West Bengal   |         3 |         5 | 3         |                               2 |
| 3       | Tamil Nadu    |         0 |         0 | 2         |                               0 |
| 4       | Jharkhand     |         0 |         0 | 2         |                               0 |
| 5       | Kerala        |         0 |         0 | 2         |                               0 |
| 6       | Odisha        |         0 |         1 | 0         |                               2 |
| 7       | Tripura       |         0 |         0 |           |                               0 |
| 8       | Uttarakhand   |         0 |         0 | 2         |                               2 |
| 9       | Uttar Pradesh |         0 |         0 | 0         |                               0 |
|         | Total         |         6 |         9 | 21        |                              10 |

## II. Elephant  casualties  by  electrocution  during  last  three  years  and  the current year.

| S.No.   | State             | 2014-15   | 2015-16   | 2016-17   | 2017-18 (upto November 2017)   |
|---------|-------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|--------------------------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh    | 2         | NR        | NR        | NR                             |
| 2       | Arunachal Pradesh | 0         | 0         | NR        | NR                             |
| 3       | Assam             | 13        | 3         | 10        | 7                              |
| 4       | Chhattisgarh      | 2         | 5         | 3         | NR                             |
| 5       | Jharkhand         | 0         | 0         | 0         | 1                              |
| 6       | Karnataka         | 15        | 1         | NR        | NR                             |
| 7       | Kerala            | 3         | NR        | NR        | NR                             |
| 8       | Maharashtra       | 0         | 0         | 0         | NR                             |
| 9       | Meghalaya         | 3         | 0         | NR        | NR                             |
| 10      | Nagaland          | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0                              |
| 11      | Odisha            | 4         | 14        | 6         | 7                              |
| 12      | Tamil Nadu        | 8         | 7         | 7         | 3                              |
| 13      | Tripura           | 0         | 0         | 0         | NR                             |
| 14      | Uttar Pradesh     | NR        | NR        | NR        | NR                             |
| 15      | Uttarakhand       | 4         | 1         | 4         | 0                              |
| 16      | West Bengal       | 9         | 15        | 9         | 1                              |
|         | Total             | 63        | 46        | 39        | 19                             |

## III. Elephant  deaths  by  poisoning  during  last  three  years  and  the  current year.

| S.No.   | State             | 2014-15   | 2015-16   | 2016-17   | 2017-18 (upto November 2017)   |
|---------|-------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|--------------------------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh    | 0         | NR        | NR        | NR                             |
| 2       | Arunachal Pradesh | 0         | 0         | NR        | NR                             |
| 3       | Assam             | 3         | 1         | 2         | 4                              |
| 4       | Chhattisgarh      | 0         | 0         | 0         | NR                             |
| 5       | Jharkhand         | 0         | 2         | 0         | 0                              |
| 6       | Karnataka         | 0         | 0         | NR        | NR                             |
| 7       | Kerala            | 0         | NR        | NR        | NR                             |
| 8       | Maharashtra       | 0         | 0         | 0         | NR                             |
| 9       | Meghalaya         | 0         | 0         | NR        | NR                             |
| 10      | Nagaland          | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0                              |
| 11      | Odisha            | 1         | 0         | 0         | 0                              |
| 12      | Tamil Nadu        | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0                              |
| 13      | Tripura           | 0         | 0         | 0         |                                |
| 14      | Uttar Pradesh     | NR        | NR        | NR        | NR                             |
| 15      | Uttarakhand       | 0         | 0         | 0         | 0                              |
| 16      | West Bengal       | 0         | 0         | 0         | NR                             |
|         | Total             | 4         | 3         | 2         | 4                              |