Lok Sabha Question No. 3463 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-08
Subject: Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Rajmohan Unnithan, K. Shanmuga Sundaram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3463

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.08.2022

## Wildlife Protection Act 1972

## 3463.  SHRI RAJMOHAN UNNITHAN: SHRI  SHANMUGA SUNDARAM K.:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  issuesfaced  by  the  public  due  to  the trespass of wild pigs intoresidential areas and the details thereof;
- (b) the steps taken by the Government in thisregard for the resolution of the same;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  any  plans  to  removewild  boars/wild  pigs  from Schedule 3  of  the  WildlifeProtection  Act  and  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether the Government will consider theproposal for change in provisions of the Wildlife(Protection) Act, 1972 to remove domesticated animals which form part of Indian culture from the wildlifecategory to protect the farmer's life and crop; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasonstherefor?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a)  and (b)

Incidences  of  human-wildlife  conflict  due  to  wild  pigs  have  been reported  to  the  Ministry  by  some  States.  Management  of  forests  and wildlife, including mitigation of human-wildlife conflict,is primarily the responsibility of States/ UTs.

The Ministry provides financial assistance to States/UTs for conservation of  wildlife  and  its  habitatsunder  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  of 'Development of Wildlife Habitats', 'Project Tiger' and 'Project Elephant'. It includes compensation to be paid as ex-gratia for loss of life and property caused by wild animals. An advisory to deal with humanwildlife conflict was issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to all States/UTs on 06.02.2021. The advisory suggests that  the  State  Chief  Wild  Life  Wardens may utilize the Panchayati  Raj Institutions  and  authorize  the  Sarpanch  or  any  other  representative  of Gram  Panchayatto  deal  with  problematic  wild  animals  under  Section 11(1) (b) of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

The Ministry has also issued guidelines to States/UTs on 03.06.2022 on managing  human-wildlife  conflict  including  damage  to  crops.  The guidelines advise States/UTs to utilize the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojn a (PMFBY). Under the revamped operational guidelines of PMFBY, States/UTs may provide add-on coverage for crop loss due to attack by wild animals.

- (c) Wild  pig  has  significant  ecological  importance  and  contributes  to  the ecosystem.  It  is  one  of  the  main  prey  species  for  large  carnivores  like tigers  and leopards. The Ministry has no plan to remove wild pig from the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- (d) and (e) The  Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972  is  applicable  to  any  animal specified in Schedules I to IV of the Act and found wild in nature and to any  animal  specified  in  Schedule  I,  II,  III  or  IV  of  the  Act  which  is captured or kept or bred in captivity. The Act has adequate provisionsfor conservation and management of wild animals and captive animals.

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