Lok Sabha Question No. 34 (STARRED), answered on 2024-02-05
Subject: Encroachment on Elephant Corridors
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Reddeppa Nallakonda Gari

## *34. SHRI N. REDDEPPA:

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

- (a) whether the Government is taking measures to reduce the encroachment of 29 per cent of the elephant corridors in the country that are leading to a further reduction in movement space for elephants to travel between their larger habitats, thereby increasing the chances of getting into conflict with the local population;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the details of other such measures being taken by the Government to curb the encroachment in this respect and restore human-wildlife balance?

## ANSWER

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

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

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 34 ANSWERED ON 05.02.2024

## Encroachment on Elephant Corridors

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (d)  OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  *34  REGARDING  'ENCROACHMENT  ON  ELEPHANT CORRIDORS' DUE FOR REPLY ON 05.02.2024.

- (a)to(d): The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in coordination with the State Forest Departments, has ground validated 150 elephant corridors across 15 elephant range states  (i.e.  Andhra  Pradesh,  Arunachal  Pradesh,  Assam,  Bihar,  Chhattisgarh,  Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal) in India during 2021-23. The report on the Elephant Corridors of India was released during the World Elephant Day, 2023 by the Ministry and circulated to States/UTs for taking necessary steps to protect and conserve the elephant corridors.

The  management  of wildlife habitats including elephant corridors is primarily the responsibility of State Governments/UT Administrations. In case forest land falling in any wildlife  habitat  is  diverted  for  any  developmental  use,  Wildlife  Management  Plan  and/or Wildlife  Mitigation  Plan  are  usually  prepared  and  implemented  by  the  respective  State Government. Protection and conservation measures are also taken accordingly on case to case basis.

In  addition,  the  following  measures  taken  by  Ministry  also  help  in  protecting  elephant corridors:

- (i) The  Central  Government  provides  financial  assistance  to  State/Union  Territory Governments  under  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  'Development  of  Wildlife Habitats' and 'Project Tiger & Elephant' for management of wildlife and its habitat in the country.
- (ii) Various  other  Centrally  Sponsored  schemes  being  implemented  by  this  Ministry contribute to the improvement in the natural habitat of elephants by augmenting water sources, planting of fodder trees, regeneration of bamboo etc. Such scheme includes Development of Wildlife Habitat. The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act 2016 and the Rules made there under also provide for use of the Fund for development of wildlife habitats, including for elephants, establishment of animal rescue centres, etc. which also contribute to reduction in Human-Elephant Conflict.
- (iii) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has also issued Guidelines to States/UTs on 3 rd June, 2022 on managing Human Wildlife conflicts including damage to crops. It includes promotion of crops in forest fringe areas which are unpalatable to wild animals and agro forestry models which include cash crops like chillies, lemon grass, khus grass etc. suitably mixed with tree/shrub species. It also includes preparation and implementation of comprehensive long-term plan for alternate cropping by the state Agriculture/Horticulture Department under different schemes in vulnerable areas.
- (iv) The  Wildlife  Institute  of  India,  Dehradun  in  consultation  with  the  Ministry  of Environment Forest, and Climate Change, National Highway Authority, National Tiger Conservation  Authority  and  World  Bank  has  published  a  document  namely  'Ecofriendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructure' (2016) to assist project agencies in designing linear infrastructure, including railways lines, in a manner that reduces human-animal conflicts.
- (v) A field manual for frontline staff to manage Human Elephant Conflict was released during the 16 th meeting of the Steering Committee of Project Elephant on 29 th April, 2022.
- (vi) The  Ministry  also  released  a  Guidelines  for  Human-Elephant  Conflict  MitigationTaking a Harmonious Coexistence Approach (2023) for addressing human-elephant conflicts.
- (vii) A  Capacity  Building  Workshop  on  'Mainstreaming  Management  of  The  Elephant Reserves'  was  conducted  on  13-15 th March,  2023  at  Wildlife  Institute  of  India, Dehradun.
- (viii) A Capacity Building Workshop on 'Minimizing the Impact of the Railway on Elephants and  Other  Wildlife'  for  the  officials  of  Indian  Railways  was  conducted  on  23-25 th November, 2023 at Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.
- (ix) A  Capacity  Building  Workshop  on  'Mainstreaming  Management  of  The  Elephant Reserves  was  conducted  on  28-29 th November,  2023  at  Wildlife  Institute  of  India, Dehradun.

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