Lok Sabha Question No. 3943 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-19
Subject: Damage Caused by Wild Animals
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Andimuthu Raja

## 3943. SHRI A. RAJA:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  received  complaints  regarding  elephants  and  other  wild animals, damaging tea plantations and causing injuries to inhabitants in Gudalur-Mudumalai Forest area in Tamil Nadu;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Forest Department to protect the local people and their tea plantations;
- (c) the  amount  released  from  CAMPA  funds  for  augmentation  of  fodder  and  water  in  and around the said area in order to restrict wild animals in forest areas;
- (d) the financial assistance provided along with the compensation to be given affected people of Tamil Nadu for damage caused by wild animals during the last three years; and
- (e) the details of amount spent under the Project Elephant scheme in the said area?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) and (b) As per information received from the Government of Tamil Nadu, complaints have been received regarding elephants and other wild animals damaging tea plantations and causing injuries to inhabitants in Gudalur area in Tamil Nadu.

The  Tamil  Nadu  State  Forest  Department  has  created Whats  App group namely  ' Thadam '    involving  public  for  quick  receipt  of  complaints  and taking urgent action on the complaints. Further, to strengthen the institutional as well as the individual capabilities to deal with various conflict driven  crisis  situation  in  vulnerable  areas,  a  special  team  namely  Rapid Response  Team  (RRT)  has  been  constituted  in  Gudalur  and  the  victim families are paid necessary compensation as per State Government norms.

Additionally,  as  a  preventive  measure,  special  teams  are    monitoring  the situation round the clock and Elephant proof trenches have also been created at  requisite  places  to  prevent  entry  of  wild  elephants  and  the  public  are alerted through SMS, early warning system, etc.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3943

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.03.2021

## Damage Caused by Wild Animals

- (c) As  per  the  information  received  from  the  Government  of  Tamil  Nadu,  an amount of Rs.686.712 lakhs has been approved by the National Authority of CAMPA for carrying out forestry and wildlife management works including augmentation of fodder and water in Gudalur- Mudumalai and surrounding areas.
- (d) As  informed  by  Government  of  Tamil  Nadu,  the  financial  assistance provided along with the compensation to affected people for damagescaused by wild animals during last three years is given below:
- (e) As  informed  by  Government  of  Tamil  Nadu,  the  details  of  amount  spent under the Project Elephant scheme in the said areaare given below:

| Year                       |   Expenditure (Rs. in Lakhs) |
|----------------------------|------------------------------|
| 2018-19                    |                      463.074 |
| 2019-20                    |                      797.497 |
| 2020-21 (as on 26.02.2021) |                       60.773 |

| Year    |   Expenditure(Rs. in Lakhs) |
|---------|-----------------------------|
| 2018-19 |                      27.19  |
| 2019-20 |                      15.126 |