Lok Sabha Question No. 162 (STARRED), answered on 2022-12-19
Subject: Elephant Menace
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Sanjay Seth

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

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION No.*162

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.12.2022

## Elephant Menace

## *162. SHRI SANJAY SETH:

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

- (a) whether the elephant menace causes heavy loss to lives and property in Jharkhand;
- (b) the details of number of human deaths due to the said menace in Jharkhand during the last two years along with the value of the property destroyed due to the said menace;
- (c) whether  any  provision  exists  for  compensation  against  the  loss  incurred  due  to elephant menace and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  taken  stringent  steps  to  prevent  large  scale  illegal poaching of elephants in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether  any  measures  have  been  taken  by  the  Government  to  prevent  humanelephant conflicts and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

- (a) to (e) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

***

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  *162  REGARDING  'ELEPHANT  MENACE'  DUE  FOR REPLY ON 19.12.2022

- (a)&(b) As per the information received from State of Jharkhand, the details of human deaths and compensation paid against loss of property etc. during the last two years are given below:
- (c) In  addition  to  compensation  schemes  of  the  State  Governments,  the  Ministry  is  also providing  financial  assistance  to  States  under  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme,  Project Elephant, for ex-gratia relief at the following rates:
- (d)&(e)  The  management  of  wildlife  including  prevention  of  crimes  related  to  elephant poaching and management of human-elephant conflict (HEC) is primarily the responsibility  of  State  Governments/UT  Administrations.    Further,  the  following measures have been taken by the Ministry to reduce elephant mortality due to poaching and human elephant conflict in the country:-
- (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) A high-level committee was constituted by the Ministry to inspect the recent death of elephant in the State of Jharkhand and Odisha as per the decision taken during the 17 th Steering Committee meeting of Project Elephant and the report has been submitted by the committee to the Ministry.
- (iii) To reduce human-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.
- (iv) An advisory on Human-Wildlife Conflict including dealing the wildlife crime has been issued by the Ministry on 6 th February, 2021.
- (v) 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.
- (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.
- (vii) Capacity  building  of  frontline  staff  for  investigation,  forensics  and  successful prosecution of wildlife cases are being organised at regular interval.
- (viii) In  addition,  the  Ministry  in  coordination  with  Wildlife  Crime  Control  Bureau (WCCB) has taken following measures to stop elephant poaching:
-  Conducting  joint  operations  with  State  enforcement  agencies  to  apprehend criminals including poachers/ivory traders.
-  Conducting capacity building for Forests and Police Officials on investigation of wildlife cases under the provision of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
-  Conducting  sensitisation  programme  for  the  officials  of  Board  Guarding Forces, Customs, Central Industrial  Security  Force  (CISF),  Judicial  officers, RPF, GRP and other stakeholders.
-  Issuing  alerts  and  advisories  on  poaching  and illegal trade of wildlife to the concerned state and Central agencies for preventive actions.
-  The WCCB has developed and online Wildlife Crime Database Management System  and  shared  user  credentials  with  970  Divisional  Forest  Offices,  50 Field Directors of Tiger Reserves and 37 Chief Wildlife Wardens in the Forest Department and 34 Directors General of Police to upload data pertaining to wildlife crime detected on day to day basis.
-  WCCB  has  also  conducted  special  pan  India    enforcement  operation  to coordinate action among State/Central enforcement agencies.  Ivory seizures have been effected in the 'Operation WILDNET-I, II, III and IV'.
-  Moreover, WCCB  participated in global operations such as operation Thunderbird envisaged by INTERPOL's Wildlife Working Group, Operation THUNDERSTORM,  Operation  THUNDERBALL  and  Operation  Thunder 2021, which resulted in the arrest of may criminal and seizers.

| Year    |   No. of human deaths |   Compensation paid against loss of property etc. (Rs. In lakh) |
|---------|-----------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2020-21 |                    74 |                                                          591.94 |
| 2021-22 |                   133 |                                                          485.38 |

| Sl. No.   | Nature of damage caused by wild animals           | Amount of ex-gratia relief                                           |
|-----------|---------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| (i)       | Death or permanent incapacitation to human beings | Rs.5.00 lakhs                                                        |
| (ii)      | Grievous injury                                   | Rs.2.00 lakhs                                                        |
| (iii)     | Minor injury                                      | Cost of treatment up to Rs 25,000/- per person                       |
| (iv)      | Loss of property/crops                            | State/UT Governments may adhere to the cost norms prescribed by them |