Lok Sabha Question No. 568 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-06
Subject: Wild Elephant Attack
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Prajwal Revanna

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 568

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.02.2023

## Wild Elephant Attack

## 568. SHRI PRAJWAL REVANNA:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of public anger towards increasing number of deaths due to  wild  elephant attack  on villagers in Sakakeshpura, Alur,  Belur talukas of Hassan Lok Sabha Constituency;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  of deaths occurred due to wild elephant attack along with the details of compensation paid to the affected families;
- (c) whether the Government is able to find a permanent solution to the elephant menace, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the details of action taken by the forest department to install rope barricades, solar fences, digging trenches along with the funds spent for purpose during the last three years; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  provided  adequate  permanent  front  line  staff  like  forest guards,  watchers  and  rapid  response  teams,  anti  depredation  camps  to  the  area  affected with elephant menace and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)&(b)  As  per  the  information  received  from  Stateof  Karnataka,  the  details  of  human  deaths occurred  due  to  elephant  attack  along  with  the  details  of  compensation  paid,  in Sakleshpura, Alur, Belurtalukas of Hassan Lok Sabha constituency are as follows:

| District, State                                         |   Year |   No. of human deaths |   Compensation paid (Rs. In Lakhs) |
|---------------------------------------------------------|--------|-----------------------|------------------------------------|
| Sakleshpura, Alur,                                      |   2021 |                    15 |                               90   |
| Belurtaluks of Hassan Lok Sabha Constituency, Karnataka |   2022 |                    07 |                               30.5 |

- (c)to(e)  The management of wildlife including mitigation and management of human-elephant conflict (HEC) is primarily the responsibility of State Governments/UTs Administration.    The  state  forest  departmentsare  working  with  the  local  people  to address the HEC issues through periodic awareness campaigns to sensitize, guide and advise the general public on man-animal conflict, including dissemination of information through various forms of media.  Further, Forest Departments are engaging with local communities as animal trackers to monitor the movement of elephants and also to caution local people to avoid human-animal conflict, prevent damage or loss of human life and elephants.  As per the information received from the State of Karnataka, in  addition  to  the  permanent  frontline  staff,  non-permanent  watchers  are  deployed  as Anti-Depredation Camps (ADC) and Rapid Response Teams (RRT) whose details are given below:

| RRT   | 5 Teams   | 20 Watchers   |
|-------|-----------|---------------|
| ADC   | 21 Teams  | 84 Watchers   |
| Total | 26 Teams  | 104 Watchers  |

A total of 74 wild elephants have been captured and rehabilitated since 2000 till date. Moreover, in addition to ongoing installation of barricade and solar fence, the State of Karnataka has constructed 9.50 km railway barricade and 14.0 km tentacle solar fence so far to mitigate human-elephant conflict.

In  addition,  the  following  measures  taken  by  Ministry  also  help  in  mitigation  of human elephant conflict:-

- (i) The Ministry provides financial and technical assistance to States/UTs under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes 'Project Elephant' for protection and conservation of elephants and their habitats in the country.
- (ii) To  reduce  man-elephant  conflict  and  to  avoid  retaliatory  killing  of  elephants. Compensation is provided to local communities for loss of their property and life caused  by  wild  elephants.  The  Ministry  has  notified  enhancement  of  ex-gratia rates related to wildlife depredation vide letter No. 14-2/2011 WL-I (part) dated 9th February, 2018.
- (iii) Various other Centrally Sponsored schemes being implemented by this Ministry contribute to the improvement in the natural habitat of elephants by augmenting water  sources,  planting  of  fodder  trees,  regeneration  of  bamboo  etc.    Such schemes  include  Development  of  Wildlife  Habitat  and  Project  Tiger.    The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act 2016 and the Rules made there under also provide  for  use  of  the  Fund  for  development  of  wildlife  habitats,  including  for elephants,  establishment  of  animal  rescue  centres,  etc.  which  also  contribute  to reduction in HEC.
- (iv) A guideline for Management of Human Elephant Conflict has been issued by the Ministry  on  6.10.2017  and  elephant  range  states have  been  requested  for implementation of the same.
- (v) Critical elephant habitats are notified as 'Elephant Reserve' for focus and synergy in  elephant  conservation  and  to  reduce  conflict.  The  notification  is  carried  out with  the  approval  of  Steering  Committee  formed  in  the  Ministry.    So  far  33 Elephant Reserves have been established in 14 major elephant States.
- (vi) A  field  manual  for  frontline  staff  to  manage  Human  Elephant  Conflict  was released during the 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on 29th April, 2022.

********