Lok Sabha Question No. 2840 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-21
Subject: Man-Animal Conflict
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Devji Mansingram Patel, Ajay Nishad, Chandan Singh, Arun Sao, Abdul Majeed Ariff, Ranjeetsingh Naik Nimbalkar

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2840

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 21.03.2022

## Man-Animal Conflict

2840.   SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

SHRI AJAY NISHAD:

SHRI CHANDAN SINGH:

SHRI ARUN SAO:

ADV. A.M. ARIFF:

SHRI RANJEETSINGH HINDURAO NAIK NIMBALKAR:

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, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the total number of human and livestock killed and damage of crop and property in the attack  by  wild  animals  during  the  years  2020-21  and  2021-22,  along  with  the  total number  of  people  received compensation  in  this regard,  State/UT-wise  including Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra during each of the last three years;
- (c) the details of the animals categorized as the animals causing damage to the crops/predators under the Wildlife (Protection Act), 1972;
- (d) the  details  of  the  provisions  for  providing  compensation  for  the  damage  caused  to  the crops, human lives and livestock by the said animals;
- (e) the steps taken to protect wildlife and check/ reduce the damage caused by wild animals to crops, human beings and properties; and
- (f) whether the Government has received any proposal from the State Government of Kerala with the aim of efficiently managing the human-wild life in the State and if so, the status thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) and (b)

The  management  of  forest  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. As per the records available in the Ministry, the information regarding the number of human deaths due to attacks  by  tigers  and  elephants,  are  given  in Annexure-I and Annexure-II , respectively.

- (c) 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.
- (d) 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  forloss of life  or  property  caused  by  wild animals.The Ministry provides funds to States/UTs forex- gratia payment in connection with wildlife depredation as follows:

| S.   | No.Nature of damage caused by wild animals   | Amount of ex-gratia relief                                   |
|------|----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
| (a)  | Death or permanent Rs.5 lakh                 | Death or permanent 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. |

State  Governments  also  provide  ex-gratia  relief  for  depredation  by  wild animals  from  their  own  funds.  The  rate  of  ex-  gratia  payment  varies  from State to State.

- (e) The steps taken by Government for protection of wildlife and 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 of '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  Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund  Act,  2016  and  the  Rules  made there under also provide for use of the Fund for development of wildlife habitats, establishment of animal rescue centers, etc. which also contribute to reduction in human-animal conflict.
- iii. 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 linear infrastructure.
- iv. An advisory on dealing with human-wildlife conflict has been issued by the Ministry in February 2021.
- 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.

(f) The Ministry had received requests from the State Government of Kerala for declaring  wild  boar  as  vermin  in  the  State  for  a  period  of  one  year.  After examining the matter, the Ministry has informed the Government of Kerala to use the provisions contained in section 11 (1) (b) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and the advisory issued by the Ministry on 06.02.2021 to deal with Human Wildlife Conflict in the State.

*****

## Annexure-I

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS(a) AND (b) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2840 DUE  FOR REPLY ON 21.03.2022 REGARDING 'MAN-ANIMAL CONFLICT'.

## Details of human death due to tiger attack

| State          |   2020 |   2021(upto June, 2021) |
|----------------|--------|-------------------------|
| Bihar          |      1 |                       3 |
| Kerala         |      1 |                       0 |
| Madhya Pradesh |      6 |                       0 |
| Maharashtra    |     25 |                       5 |
| Tamil Nadu     |      1 |                       0 |
| Telangana      |      2 |                       0 |
| Uttar Pradesh  |      4 |                       5 |
| Uttarakhand    |      0 |                       1 |
| West Bengal    |      4 |                       0 |

## Annexure-II

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) AND (b) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2840 DUE  FOR REPLY ON 21.03.2022 REGARDING 'MAN-ANIMAL CONFLICT'.

## 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         |
| Uttarakhand    | NR        | NR        |
| West Bengal    | 116       | 47        |