Lok Sabha Question No. 2262 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-23
Subject: Man-Animal Conflict
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Thomas Chazhikadan

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2262

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.09.2020

## Man-Animal Conflict

## 2262. SHRI THOMAS CHAZHIKADAN:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the loss of human lives due to frequent attacks  by  wild  animals  encroaching  into  agriculture  fields  and  human  habitations near forest borders in various states;
- (b) if so, the total number of human lives lost during the last five years ending August 2020, State-wise;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  population  of  various  wild species have multiplied during the last few years and that they are posing danger by encroaching into agriculture fields and nearby human habitations near forest borders due to insufficient food and water; and
- (d) if so, the measures taken by the Government to control the man-animal conflict in the country?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b) Incidences  of  loss  of  human  lives  due  to  attacks  by  wild  animals  are reported in various parts of the country from time to time. The management of  forests  and  wildlife  is  primarily  the  responsibility  of  the  concerned State/UT  Governments  and  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate Change does not maintain the data of human lives lost due to wild animals. However, as per information received from Project Elephant and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the number of human deaths caused by  elephants  and  tigers,  state-wise,  during  the  last  five  years  is  given  at Annexure I and II respectively.
- (c) As  per  available  information,  the  estimated  populations  of  Asiatic  Lions, Tigers and Elephants are as follows:

| Asiatic Lion:   | Asiatic Lion:   | Asiatic Lion:     | Asiatic Lion:                |
|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------|------------------------------|
| S. No.          | Year            | Population (nos.) | Percentage growth            |
| 1.              | 2005            | 359               | 87.74 %between 2005 and 2020 |
| 2.              | 2010            | 411               | 87.74 %between 2005 and 2020 |
| 3.              | 2015            | 523               | 87.74 %between 2005 and 2020 |
| 4.              | 2020            | 674               | 87.74 %between 2005 and 2020 |

| Tiger:   | Tiger:   | Tiger:            | Tiger:                       |
|----------|----------|-------------------|------------------------------|
| S. No.   | Year     | Population (nos.) | Percentage growth            |
| 1.       | 2010     | 1706              | 73.91 %between 2010 and 2018 |
| 2.       | 2014     | 2226              | 73.91 %between 2010 and 2018 |
| 3.       | 2018     | 2967              | 73.91 %between 2010 and 2018 |

| Elephant:   | Elephant:   | Elephant:         | Elephant:         |
|-------------|-------------|-------------------|-------------------|
| S. No.      | Year        | Population (nos.) | Percentage growth |
| 1.          | 2007        | 27694             | 8.19 %between     |
| 2.          | 2012        | 30051             | 2007 and 2017     |
| 3.          | 2017        | 29964             | 2007 and 2017     |

No report has been received in the Ministry indicating that increase in the numbers of various wild species during the last few years is posing danger by  encroaching  into  agriculture  fields  and  nearby  human  habitations  near forest borders due to insufficient food and water.

- (d) The  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  control  the  man-animal conflict in the country are as follows:
- i. Ministry provides financial assistance to States/UTs under the  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  of  'Development  of Wildlife Habitats', 'Project Tiger' and 'Project Elephant' for management of wildlife and its habitats in the country. The broad  activities  supported  under  these  schemes include compensation for depredation by wild animals and construction /erection of physical barriers to prevent entry of wild animals into crop fields. The funding has increased more than double in the last five years.
- ii. Ministry has issued advisories dated 24 th December, 2014 and 1 st June, 2015 in the context of human-wildlife conflict to the Chief Wildlife Wardens of all States/UTs.
- iii. Wildlife Institute of India in consultation with the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change, National Highway Authority, National Tiger Conservation Authority and World Bank Group has published a document namely 'Eco-friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructure' to assist project agencies in designing linear infrastructure in a manner that reduces human-animal conflicts.
- iv. The Ministry has increased ex -gratia relief in 2018 eligible for  assistance  under  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  in case of depredation by wild animals.
- v. The Ministry has notified Eco-sensitive Zones around 393 national  parks and  sanctuaries adding  more  areas  for conservation of wildlife.
- vi. The total number and area coverage of protected areas has increased  from  759  and  161974.90  km 2 respectively  in 2015 to 903 and 1,65,012.59 km 2 respectively in 2020.
- vii. The  Ministry  has  approved  a  project  for  undertaking 'Immuno-contraceptive measures' for population management of selected wild animal species.
- viii. All  the  elephant  States  have  been  directed  to  implement Guidelines  for  Management  of  Human  Elephant  Conflict issued by the Ministry on 6.10.2017.
- ix. The National Tiger Conservation Authority has issued the following three Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to minimize conflict with humans: -
-  SOP to deal with 'emergency arising due to straying of tigers in human dominated landscapes'.
-  SOP to deal with 'tiger depredation on livestock'.
-  For active management towards rehabilitation of tigers from source areas at the landscape level .
- x. Periodic  awareness  campaigns  to  sensitize,  guide  and advise the general public on man-animal conflict, including dissemination  of  information  through  various  forms  of media are carried out.

## Annexure I

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  &  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  2262  REGARDING  'MAN-ANIMAL  CONFLICT' BY SHRI THOMAS CHAZHIKADAN DUE FOR REPLY ON 23.09.2020

| Number of HumanDeaths caused by elephant (30.9.2019)   | Number of HumanDeaths caused by elephant (30.9.2019)   | Number of HumanDeaths caused by elephant (30.9.2019)   | Number of HumanDeaths caused by elephant (30.9.2019)   | Number of HumanDeaths caused by elephant (30.9.2019)   | Number of HumanDeaths caused by elephant (30.9.2019)   | Number of HumanDeaths caused by elephant (30.9.2019)   | Number of HumanDeaths caused by elephant (30.9.2019)   |
|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No.                                                  | State                                                  | 2014- 15                                               | 2015- 16                                               | 2016- 17                                               | 2017- 18                                               | 2018- 19                                               | 2019-20 (Upto 30.09.2019)                              |
| 1                                                      | Andhra Pradesh                                         | 2                                                      | 0                                                      | 2                                                      | 6                                                      | 7                                                      | 3                                                      |
| 2                                                      | Arunachal Pradesh                                      | 1                                                      | 1                                                      | NR*                                                    | NR*                                                    | 0                                                      | Nil                                                    |
| 3                                                      | Assam                                                  | 54                                                     | 31                                                     | 91                                                     | 72                                                     | 84                                                     | 43                                                     |
| 4                                                      | Chhattisgarh                                           | 32                                                     | 53                                                     | 74                                                     | 74                                                     | 56                                                     | 40                                                     |
| 5                                                      | Jharkhand                                              | 53                                                     | 66                                                     | 59                                                     | 84                                                     | 87                                                     | 42                                                     |
| 6                                                      | Karnataka                                              | 53                                                     | 47                                                     | 49                                                     | 22                                                     | 12                                                     | 13                                                     |
| 7                                                      | Kerala                                                 | 20                                                     | 6                                                      | 33                                                     | 15                                                     | 27                                                     | 10                                                     |
| 8                                                      | Maharashtra                                            | 3                                                      | 1                                                      | 0                                                      | 0                                                      | 1                                                      | Nil                                                    |
| 9                                                      | Meghalaya                                              | 5                                                      | 6                                                      | 5                                                      | 7                                                      | 3                                                      | 2                                                      |
| 10                                                     | Nagaland                                               | 1                                                      | 1                                                      | 1                                                      | 0                                                      | 1                                                      | 0                                                      |
| 11                                                     | Odisha                                                 | 65                                                     | 89                                                     | 66                                                     | 105                                                    | 72                                                     | 50                                                     |
| 12                                                     | Tamil Nadu                                             | 31                                                     | 49                                                     | 43                                                     | 49                                                     | 47                                                     | 34                                                     |
| 13                                                     | Tripura                                                | 1                                                      | 0                                                      | 2                                                      | 0                                                      | NR*                                                    | 2                                                      |
| 14                                                     | Uttar Pradesh                                          | 1                                                      | 0                                                      | 3                                                      | 1                                                      | 0                                                      | 3                                                      |
| 15                                                     | Uttarakhand                                            | 7                                                      | 7                                                      | 4                                                      | 5                                                      | 3                                                      | 0                                                      |
| 16                                                     | West Bengal                                            | 89                                                     | 112                                                    | 84                                                     | 66                                                     | 52                                                     | 30                                                     |
| Total                                                  | Total                                                  | 418                                                    | 469                                                    | 516                                                    | 506                                                    | 452                                                    | 272                                                    |

*No Report

## Annexure II

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  &  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  2262  REGARDING  'MAN-ANIMAL  CONFLICT' BY SHRI THOMAS CHAZHIKADAN DUE FOR REPLY ON 23.09.2020

| Number of HumanDeaths caused by tiger attacks from 2015 to 2019   | Number of HumanDeaths caused by tiger attacks from 2015 to 2019   |   Number of HumanDeaths caused by tiger attacks from 2015 to 2019 |   Number of HumanDeaths caused by tiger attacks from 2015 to 2019 |   Number of HumanDeaths caused by tiger attacks from 2015 to 2019 |   Number of HumanDeaths caused by tiger attacks from 2015 to 2019 |   Number of HumanDeaths caused by tiger attacks from 2015 to 2019 |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No.                                                             | State                                                             |                                                              2015 |                                                              2016 |                                                              2017 |                                                              2018 |                                                              2019 |
| 1.                                                                | Assam                                                             |                                                                 0 |                                                                 1 |                                                                 1 |                                                                 1 |                                                                 0 |
| 2.                                                                | Karnataka                                                         |                                                                 2 |                                                                 0 |                                                                 0 |                                                                 1 |                                                                 4 |
| 3.                                                                | Kerala                                                            |                                                                 3 |                                                                 0 |                                                                 0 |                                                                 0 |                                                                 0 |
| 4.                                                                | Madhya Pradesh                                                    |                                                                 8 |                                                                10 |                                                                 5 |                                                                 2 |                                                                 1 |
| 5.                                                                | Maharashtra                                                       |                                                                 7 |                                                                19 |                                                                 7 |                                                                 2 |                                                                26 |
| 6.                                                                | Orissa                                                            |                                                                 0 |                                                                 0 |                                                                 0 |                                                                 2 |                                                                 0 |
| 7.                                                                | Rajasthan                                                         |                                                                 1 |                                                                 0 |                                                                 0 |                                                                 2 |                                                                 5 |
| 8.                                                                | Tamil Nadu                                                        |                                                                 1 |                                                                 1 |                                                                 0 |                                                                 0 |                                                                 0 |
| 9.                                                                | Telangana                                                         |                                                                 0 |                                                                 0 |                                                                 0 |                                                                 0 |                                                                 0 |
| 10.                                                               | Uttar Pradesh                                                     |                                                                 1 |                                                                15 |                                                                19 |                                                                 5 |                                                                 8 |
| 11.                                                               | Uttarakhand                                                       |                                                                 1 |                                                                 2 |                                                                 0 |                                                                 1 |                                                                 3 |
| 12.                                                               | West Bengal                                                       |                                                                18 |                                                                14 |                                                                12 |                                                                15 |                                                                 3 |
| Total                                                             | Total                                                             |                                                                42 |                                                                62 |                                                                44 |                                                                31 |                                                                50 |