Lok Sabha Question No. 3563 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-08
Subject: Damage Caused by Wild Animals
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Chandra Prakash Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3563

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.08.2022

## Damage Caused by Wild Animals

## 3563.   SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH CHOUDHARY:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that there has been a phenomenal increase in humanwildlife conflicts reported from different parts of the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the total number of humans and livestock killed and damage to crops and property in the attack by wild animals during the years 2020-21 and 2021-22;
- (c) the  total  number  of  people  who  received  compensation  in  this  regard,  State/UT-wise including  Jharkhand,  Chhattisgarh  and  Madhya  Pradesh  during  each  of  the  last  three years;
- (d) the details of the animals categorized as the animals causing damage to the crops/predators under the Wildlife (Protection Act), 1972;
- (e) the  details  of  the  provisions  for  providing  compensation  for  the  damage  caused  to  the crops, human lives and livestock by the said animals; and
- (f) the steps taken to protect wildlife and check/ reduce the damage caused by wild animals to crops, human beings and properties?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a), (b) and (c)

Management  of  forests  and  wildlife,  including  mitigation  of  humanwildlife conflict, is primarily the responsibility of State Governments/UT Administrations.Incidences of human-wildlife conflict have been reported to the Ministry from different parts of the country. Information  regarding  the  number  of  human  deaths  due  to  attacks  by tigers and elephants, as per records available in the Ministry, isgiven in Annexure-I and Annexure-II .

Compensation for loss of life, injury or loss of property /crops caused by wild animals is paid by State Governments. The rates of compensation differ from State to State. Details of compensation paid by States are not collated by the Ministry.

- (d) Section  2(36)  of  the  Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972,  provides  for categorization  of  wild  animals  under  Schedule  I  to  IV  based  on  the degree of protection required.

The  Ministry  provides  financial  assistance  to  States  /UTs  under  the Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  'Development  of  Wildlife  Habitats', 'Project Tiger' and 'Project Elephant' for management of wildlife and its  habitats.  It includes the ex-gratia relief to be  paid for loss of life or property caused by wild animals.The amount of ex gratia relief payable

- (e) under the Schemes is as follows:
- (f) and

| S. No.   | Nature of damage caused by wild animals           | Amount of ex-gratia relief                                   |
|----------|---------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| (a)      | Death or permanent incapacitation to human beings | Rs.5 lakh                                                    |
| (b)      | Grievous injury                                   | Rs. 2 lakh                                                   |
| (c)      | Minor injury                                      | Cost of treatment upto Rs 25000/-                            |
| (d)      | Loss of property/crops                            | States /UTs may adhere to the cost norms prescribed by them. |

The steps taken by Government for protection of wildlife management of human-wildlife conflict include the following:

- i. Financial  assistance  is  provided  by  the  Ministry  to  States/Union Territories under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes 'Development of  Wildlife  Habitats',  'Project  Tiger'  and  'Project  Elephant'  for activities  like  creation  and  maintenance  of  water  holes  for  wild animals in Protected Areas, soil and moisture conservation measures,  establishment  of  anti-poaching  camps,  strengthening wildlife veterinary care, eradication of weeds, creation and maintenance  of  fire  lines,  deployment  of  Tiger  Protection  Force and special Tiger Protection Force etc.
- ii. The Ministry has issued guidelines to States/UTs on 03.06.2022on managing  human-wildlife  conflict,  including  damage  to  crops caused by wild animals. The guidelines advise States/UTs to utilize the Pradhan MantriFasalBimaYojna (PMFBY).
- iii. The Ministry has issued an advisory on human-wildlife conflict to States/UTs on 06.02.2021.
- iv. The  Ministry released the National Human-Wildlife  Conflict Mitigation Strategy and Action Plan (2021-2026) in October, 2021.  The  Action  Plan has  been  developed  using  a  participatory approach to bring a common understanding and consensus among the  key  stakeholders  on  the  approaches  and  possible  solutions  to
5. mitigate human-wildlife conflict in the country.
- v. The  National  Tiger  Conservation  Authority  has  issued  Standard Operating  Procedures  to  deal  with  emergencies  arising  due  to straying of tigers  in  human  dominated  landscapes  and  tiger depredation  on  livestock  and  for  active  management  towards rehabilitation of tigers from source areas at the landscape level.
- vi. A  field  manual  for  frontline  staff  to  manage  human-elephant conflict has been released by the Ministry.
- vii. Guidelines  on  eco-friendly  measures  to  mitigate  the  impacts  of linear infrastructure have been published by the Wildlife Institute of India to assist project agencies in designing eco-friendly linear infrastructure.

****

Annexure-I

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a), (b) AND (c) OF THE LOK SABHA  UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  3563  DUE  FOR  REPLY  ON  08.08.2022 REGARDING 'DAMAGE CAUSED BY WILD ANIMALS'.

## Details of human death due to tiger attack

| State          |   2020 |   2021 |
|----------------|--------|--------|
| Bihar          |      1 |      3 |
| Karnataka      |      0 |      1 |
| Kerala         |      1 |      0 |
| Madhya Pradesh |      6 |      0 |
| Maharashtra    |     25 |     10 |
| Tamil Nadu     |      1 |      3 |
| Telangana      |      2 |      0 |
| Uttar Pradesh  |      4 |     13 |
| Uttarakhand    |      0 |      1 |
| West Bengal    |      4 |      0 |

## Annexure-II

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a), (b) AND (c) OF THE LOK SABHA  UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  3563  DUE  FOR  REPLY  ON  08.08.2022 REGARDING 'DAMAGE CAUSED BY WILD ANIMALS'.

## Details of human death due to elephant attack

| State          |   2019-20 | 2020-21   |
|----------------|-----------|-----------|
| Andhra Pradesh |         4 | 6         |
| Assam          |        75 | 91        |
| Chhattisgarh   |        77 | 42        |
| Jharkhand      |        84 | 74        |
| Karnataka      |        29 | 23        |
| Kerala         |        12 | 20        |
| Maharashtra    |         1 | NR        |
| Meghalaya      |         4 | 6         |
| Odisha         |       117 | 93        |
| Tamil Nadu     |        58 | 57        |
| Tripura        |         2 | 1         |
| Uttar Pradesh  |         6 | 1         |
| West Bengal    |       116 | 47        |

* NR- Information not received from State