Lok Sabha Question No. 3543 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-08
Subject: Elephant Menace
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: DODDAALAHALLI KEMPEGOWDA SURESH

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3543

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.08.2017

## Elephant Menace

## 3543.  SHRI D.K. SURESH:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  rise  in  incidents  of  elephant  menace  in  the country including Karnataka in the recent years and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has made any assessment of the losses incurred due to elephant raids on standing crops, human settlements etc.;
- (c) if so, the details of the loss of standing crops and human casualties during each of the last three years, State-wise;
- (d) whether the Government has paid any compensation to the affected families;
- (e) if so, the details thereof during the said period; and
- (f) whether the Government has any proposal to prevent elephant menace by installing solar fencing and using state-of-the-art technology and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR  ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a) Yes Sir,  reports  of  damage  caused  by  elephant  are  received  from  various  part  of country,  including  Karnataka.    Rise  in  the  number  of  such  incidents  is  due  to fragmentation  of  forests  and  increased  in  human  population.  Number  of  people killed, State-wise, due to elephant attacks is given at Annexure.
- (b)&(c) No, scientific, country wide, study has been carried out to assess losses incurred by elephant raids on crops and human settlements.
- (d)&(e) Yes Sir, the details of compensation paid to the victims of elephant depredation for last three years are given below:
- (f) Yes Sir, following steps are taken by the Government to minimize the impacts of elephant depredation:
- (i) Financial and technical assistance is provided to elephant range states under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes 'Project Elephant'.
- (ii) Elephant range States notify the critical elephant habitats as 'Elephant Reserves'  for  better  management  of  wild  elephants.    So  far  29  Elephant Reserves have been established in 14 States
- (iii) Elephant  is  listed  under  Schedule  I  of  the  Wildlife  Protection  Act,  1972,  to provide it highest degree of legal protection.
- (iv) Solar powered fencing and elephant proof trenches are used to prevent elephant menace.
- (v) The  latest  technologies  such  as  WhatsApp,  SMS  based  alert  system,  use  of Radio Collaring of elephant etc. are used to minimise elephant depredation.
- (vi) Improvement of National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuary, Critical habitat, including Elephant Reserves and Corridors is carried out regularly.
- (vii) Use of used rails to create elephant proof barrier.

| Years   |   Compensation paid for human depredation caused by elephants (Amount Rs. In Lakhs) |   Compensation paid for crop and property depredation caused by elephants (Amount Rs. In Lakhs) |
|---------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2014-15 |                                                                              923.27 |                                                                                         4249.17 |
| 2015-16 |                                                                             1144.63 |                                                                                         3933.93 |
| 2016-17 |                                                                              893.91 |                                                                                         2784.88 |

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ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3543 RAISED BY SHRI D.K. SURESH REGARDING 'ELEPHANT MENACE' DUE FOR REPLY ON 08.08.2017.

## DETAILS OF HUMAN DEATHS DUE TO ELEPHANT ATTACKS

| S.No.   | State             | 2014-15                  | 2015-16                  | 2016-17                  |
|---------|-------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh    | 2                        | 0                        | 2                        |
| 2       | Arunachal Pradesh | 1                        | 1                        | Information not received |
| 3       | Assam             | 54                       | 31                       | 69                       |
| 4       | Chhattisgarh      | 32                       | 59                       | 67                       |
| 5       | Jharkhand         | 53                       | 66                       | 42                       |
| 6       | Karnataka         | 53                       | 47                       | 49                       |
| 7       | Kerala            | 20                       | Information not received | Information not received |
| 8       | Maharashtra       | 3                        | 0                        | 0                        |
| 9       | Meghalaya         | 3                        | 9                        | Information not received |
| 10      | Nagaland          | 1                        | 1                        | 1                        |
| 11      | Odisha            | 64                       | 63                       | 62                       |
| 12      | Tamil Nadu        | 31                       | 47                       | 43                       |
| 13      | Tripura           | 1                        | 0                        | 2                        |
| 14      | Uttar Pradesh     | Information not received | Information not received | Information not received |
| 15      | Uttarakhand       | 7                        | 7                        | 4                        |
| 16      | West Bengal       | 89                       | 112                      | 82                       |
|         | Total             | 414                      | 443                      | 423                      |