Lok Sabha Question No. 155 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-21
Subject: Protection of Wild Animals from Road Accidents
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Kanakmal Katara

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.155

TO BE ANSWERED ON  21.06.2019

## Protection of Wild Animals from Road Accidents

## 155. SHRI KANAKMAL KATARA:

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

- (a) whether the Government has formulated any scheme to save wild animals from road accidents and prevent crop damage by them;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has taken any steps to rehabilitate these wild animals to their natural habitats or handover them to zoo authorities;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

- (a)and(b) The Ministry has already initiated preventive measures to save wild animals from road accidents and secure crop damage by them.  The important  action in this regard includes:
- i. Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in consultation with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, National Tiger Conservation  Authority,  National  Highway  Authority  and  World Bank has published a document namely 'Eco-friendly Measures to Mitigate  Impacts  of  Linear  Infrastructure'  to  assist the  project agencies of linear infrastructure in designing the linear infrastructure in a manner which will reduce  human-animal conflict in the  areas where  these  linear  infrastructures  are  passing  through  Protected Areas and other wildlife areas. The Standing Committee of NBWL in its 47 th Meeting held on 25 th January, 2018  recommended that in future  user  agencies  involved  in  linear  infrastructure    development should  take into  consideration the advisory made in the guidelines of    the  Wildlife  Institute  of  India    while    designing  the    linear infrastructures    inside  the  Protected  Areas,  notified  Eco  Sensitive Zone area around PAs and in future  linear infrastructure  proposals by project  proponents would be accompanied by an  animal passage plan prepared , if required, on the basis of these WII guidelines and in consultation with the State Chief Wildlife Warden.
- ii. The  application of this document  is highlighted in mitigation measures which have been constructed on National Highway 7 (now NH  44)  in  Maharashtra  in  an  18  km  forest  patch  between  two important tiger source areas namely the Kanha and the Pench Tiger Reserves. These mitigation measures include nine structures  which have  six  underpasses  and  three  minor  bridges  of  the  following dimensions:
- iii. The efficacy of these structures is being monitored by the National Tiger Conservation Authority in a project titled 'Ecological impact assessment  of  existing  and  proposed  road  infrastructure  in important  wildlife  corridors  for  strategic  planning  of  smart green infrastructure' through the  Wildlife  Institute  of  India.  This project  has  shown  that  critically  endangered  wildlife  like  tigers, dholes and gaur are successfully traversing these structures indicating  their  usefulness  in  avoiding  road  hits  involving  wild animals.
- iv. The  Ministry  through  its  various  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes provides funds to States and UTs for carrying various activities for habitat  improvement  works  namely  restoration  of  natural  water bodies, creation of artificial ponds, waterholes, augmenting food/fodder  sources  at  various  places  within  Protected  Areas  and outside  Protected  Areas  to  prevent  wild  animals  venturing  outside forest  areas.  Compensation  to  crop  damage  is  also  provided  to  the affected persons in the same scheme.
- (c),(d)and (e) Subject to a health assessment, wild animals are rehabilitated back into the wild.

|   Sl. No. | Structure     | Length     |   Number |
|-----------|---------------|------------|----------|
|         1 | Underpass     | 750 meters |       02 |
|         2 | Underpass     | 300 meters |       01 |
|         3 | Underpass     | 100 meters |       01 |
|         4 | Underpass     | 50 meters  |       02 |
|         5 | Minor bridges | 60 meters  |       01 |
|         6 | Minor bridges | 80 meters  |       01 |
|         7 | Minor bridges | 65 meters  |       01 |

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