Lok Sabha Question No. 1601 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-11
Subject: Crop Damage due to Wild Animals
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Tirath Singh Rawat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1601

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  11 TH  FEBRUARY, 2020

## CROP DAMAGE DUE TO WILD ANIMALS

## 1601.    SHRI TIRATH SINGH RAWAT:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any assessment of the loss of farmers crops caused by wild animals in Uttarakhand during the last three years;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government gives compensation to such farmers;
- (d) the other remedial measures taken by the Government to protect the crops from wild animals; and
- (e) the scheme of the Government to catch such animals in large numbers and to transfer them to protected forests?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी ( SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) to (c):      The  Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  and  Farmers  Welfare  does  not conduct assessment/study for the value of loss to the field crops by wild animals and stray cattle. The quantum loss of crops destroyed by stray cattle and wild animals are managed by concerned  State/Union  Territories.  As  per  report  of  the  State  Government,  Uttarakhand Forest Department has paid compensation to the farmers for their crop loss, by wild animals, as per cost norms prescribed by State Government. The compensation paid in the last four years for the loss of crops is given below.

| Year    | Compensation (in lakhs)    |
|---------|----------------------------|
| 2016-17 | 10.71                      |
| 2017-18 | 78.748                     |
| 2018-19 | 94.34                      |
| 2019-20 | 59.90 (up to October 2019) |

Further, Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare under the revised guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) from Rabi 2018-19, states have been given liberty to consider providing add-on coverage for crop loss due to attack by wild animals wherever the risk is perceived to be substantial and identifiable.

(d):      Government  has  taken  various  steps  to  prevent  and  check  damage  to crops by wild animals in the country as follows:

- (i) Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC)  through its  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  (CSS)  namely  `Project  Tiger',  'Project Elephant' and 'Development of Wildlife Habitats (DWH) provides funds to States  and  UTs  for  carrying  various  activities  for  habitat  improvement works  viz., restoration  of  natural  water  bodies,  creation  of  artificial ponds,  waterholes,  augmenting  food/fodder  sources  at  various  places within Protected Areas to minimize the crop damage.
- (ii) The Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC)  has approved  a  project  for  undertaking  'Immunocontraceptive  measures'  for population management of wild animals.
- (iii) Construction/erecting  of  physical  barriers,  such  as  barbed  wire  fence, solar powered electric fence, bio-fencing using cactus, boundary wall etc. to prevent the entry of wild animals into crop field.

Besides,  State  Governments  take  steps  to  mitigate  the  crop  damage  by  wild animals under their schemes.

(e): Under  the  Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972  there  are  provisions  to  deal  with problematic wild animals, Section 11 &12 of the Act, inter-alia, empowers the Chief Wildlife Warden  and  authorized  officers  to  take  necessary  steps  to  handle  problematic  wild animals. In context of Elephant, the Gajah Task Force has laid out a set of recommendations  for  managing  conflict  which inter-alia include constitution of anti depredation teams, barriers to movement and removal via capture of problematic animals.

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