Lok Sabha Question No. 1497 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-10
Subject: Death of Wild Animals Due to Accident on NHs
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: V. Kalanidhi, Dushyant Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1497

## ANSWERED ON 10 TH  FEBRUARY, 2022 DEATH OF WILD ANIMALS DUE TO ACCIDENT ON NHS

## 1497.  DR. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY: SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

## be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  increase  in  the  number  of deaths  of  stray  animals  and  wild  animals  due  to  accidents  on National and State Highways in the country;
- (b) if so, the details of stray and wild animals injured and died during each of the last thee years, animal and State-wise including Tamil Nadu;
- (c) whether the Government has made any plan in this regard and if so, the details thereof along with the targets set and acheived so far;
- (d) whether the Government has identified particular highway corridors  where  frequent  deaths  are  being  recorded,  if  so,  the details  of  such  corridors  and  the  details  of  the  steps  taken  to address the issue;
- (e) whether the Government is providing any rehabilitation assistance to such injured animals and if so, the details of the efforts made in this regard and funds allocated and spent for the purpose during the  said period;
- (f) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  introduce  any  scheme  for stray and wild animals to protect them from road accidents and if so, the details thereof; and
- (g) whether the Government is aware that there may be many animals dying on the highways but have gone unnoticed and if so, the steps being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

- (a) to (g)    Ministry of Road Transport and Highways takes all  steps necessary for Wildlife protection as prescribed by National Board for Wildlife, (NBWL). Major steps taken by the Ministry of Environment &

Forest (which is the nodal Ministry for Wildlife Protection) to avoid such incidents are as follows:

1. Ministry  through  its  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  (CSS)  namely 'Project  Tiger',  'Project  Elephant'  and  'Development  of  Wildlife Habitats  (DWH)'  provides  funds  to  States  and  UTs  for  carrying various activities for habitat improvement works namely restoration  of  natural  water  bodies,  creation  of  artificial  ponds, waterholes,  augmenting  food/fodder  sources  at  various  places within Protected Areas to minimize the human animal conflict.
2. Ministry  has  issued  advisory  to  States/UTs  for  submission  of proposals  for  diversion  within  the  protected  areas  and  Ecosensitive Zones along with animal passage plan prepared on the basis of guidelines prepared by Wildlife Institute of India, namely, Eco-friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructure on Wildlife. The guidelines suggest for modifications in the designs of  the  linear  infrastructures  by  way  of  providing  eco-friendly structure which will ensure safe movement of wildlife across these linear infrastructures.
3. A network of Protected Areas namely viz., National Park, Sanctuaries,  Conservation  Reserves  and  Community  Reserves covering important wildlife habitat have been created all over the country under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to conserve wild animals and their habitats.
4. Construction/erecting  of  physical  barriers,  such  as  barbed  wire fence,  solar  powered  electric  fence,  bio-fencing  using  cactus, boundary wall etc. to prevent the entry of wild animals into crop field.
5. An advisory on handling human-wildlife conflict has been issued by the  Ministry  to  all  States  on  06.02.2021  which  suggests  various measures  that  may  be  adopted  by  States  for  handling  humanwildlife  conflict.  These  include  coordinated  interdepartmental action, formation of State and district level committees, identification of conflict hot spots, adherence to Standard Operating Procedures, and establishment of rapid response teams.

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