Lok Sabha Question No. 967 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-02
Subject: Elephants Menace
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Rudra Narayan Pany

## 967.

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 967 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.12.2024

## Elephants Menace

SHRI RUDRA NARAYAN PANY:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the increasing menace of Elephants in the State of Odisha, particularly in Angul and Dhenkanal districts;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the measures proposed by the Government to prevent the loss of human life and property and to safeguard the crops etc. due to elephant menace?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a)to(c)  The details of elephant deaths due to unnatural reasons and human casualties due to elephants in Angul and Dhenkanal district of Odisha, as per the information received from State, is as follows.

| Year                | Angul District   | Angul District   | Dhenkanal District   | Dhenkanal District   |
|---------------------|------------------|------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
|                     | Eleph ant Death  | Human Death      | Elepha nt Death      | Human Death          |
| 2021-22             | 6                | 14               | 3                    | 17                   |
| 2022-23             | 5                | 16               | 5                    | 34                   |
| 2023-24             | 4                | 24               | 4                    | 32                   |
| 2024-25 (till date) | 2                | 8                | 2                    | 17                   |
| Total               | 17               | 62               | 14                   | 100                  |

The management of wildlife including mitigation and management of human-elephant conflict (HEC) is primarily the responsibility of State Governments/UTs Administration.  The  State  Forest  Departments  are  working  with  the  local  people  to address the HEC issues through periodic awareness campaigns to sensitize, guide and advise  the  general  public  on  human-animal  conflict  including  dissemination  of information through various forms of media.  Further, State Forest  Departments are engaging with local communities to monitor the movement of elephants and to caution local  people to avoid human-animal conflict, prevent damage or loss of human life, property and elephants.

In addition, Ministry has taken the following measures to help in mitigation of humanelephant conflict:-

- (i) The Ministry is providing financial and technical assistance to States/UTs under the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  Project  Tiger  &  Elephant  for  protection  of elephants, their habitat and corridors, to address issues of man-elephant conflict and welfare of captive elephants in the country.
- (ii) Other various Centrally Sponsored Schemes including Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat 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.  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 HEC.
- (iii) An  advisory  on  dealing  with  human-wildlife  conflict  has  been  issued  by  the Ministry in February, 2021. The  advisory recommends coordinated interdepartmental action, identification of conflict  hot  spots,  adherence  to  Standard Operating Procedures, establishment of rapid response teams, formation of State and District level committees to review the quantum of ex-gratia relief, issuing guidance/instructions for expedited payments, and provision of adequate funds for suitable  portion  of  ex-gratia  relief  to  be  paid  within  24  hours  to  the  affected persons in the case of death and injury to persons.
- (iv) 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, 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 longterm plan for alternate cropping by the state Agriculture/Horticulture Department under different schemes in vulnerable areas.
- (v) 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 Group has published a document namely  'Eco-friendly  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.
- (vi) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in coordination with the State Forest Departments, have 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 and informed the State Governments/UT Administrations to take necessary steps to protect and conserve the elephant corridors.
- (vii) Critical elephant habitats are notified as 'Elephant Reserve' for focus and synergy in elephant conservation and to reduce conflict. The notification is carried out with the approval of Steering Committee formed in the Ministry.  So far 33 Elephant Reserves have been established in 14 major elephant States.
- (viii) A  field  manual  for  frontline  staff  to  manage  Human  Elephant  Conflict  was released during the 16 th meeting of the Steering Committee on 29 th April, 2022. Further, the manual has been translated in local languages including Odia.
- (ix) The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides regulatory functions for dealing with human wildlife conflict situations.
- (x) A general advisory has been issued jointly by Ministry of Railways and Ministry of  Environment  and Forests on 30th March, 2010 to the General Managers of North  Frontier  (NF),  East  Cost  and  Southern  Railways  with  a  request  to implement the suggested measures.
- (xi) Advisory  on  implementation  of  measures  to  mitigate  the  impact  of  power transmission lines and other power infrastructure on elephant and other wildlife issued by Ministry of Power to all DISCOMs and TRANSCOs has been circulated to all States/UTS on 16 th September, 2022.
- (xii) Ministry  also  released  a  Guidelines  for  Human-Elephant  Conflict  MitigationTaking  a  Harmonious  Coexistence  Approach  (2023)  for  addressing  humanelephant conflicts.
- (xiii) To  reduce  man-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. WL-21/4/2023 WL dated 22 nd December, 2023, which includes increase in ex-gratia from ₹5lakh to ₹10 lakh in case of death by wild animals.
- (xiv) A permanent Co-ordination Committee has been constituted between Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for preventing elephant death in train accident.
- (xv) Inter-ministerial meeting convened regularly with the Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Power to holistically address the issue of accidental death of elephant due to train hit and electrocution.
- (xvi) A Recommended Operating Procedure for capture and translocation of elephants in distress and conflicts released during the World Elephant Day 2024.
- (xvii) A Capacity Building Workshop on 'Mainstreaming Management of The Elephant Reserves' was conducted on 13 -15th March, 2023 at Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.
- (xviii) 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 23-25th November, 2023 at Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.
- (xix) A Capacity Building Workshop on 'Mainstreaming Management of The Elephant Reserves  was  conducted  on  28-  29th  November,  2023  at  Wildlife  Institute  of India, Dehradun.
- (xx) A Capacity Building Workshop on 'Exploring solution for minimizing electrocution  risk  and  promoting  wildlife  safety  across  power  infrastructure  in India' was conducted on 11- 13th January, 2024 at Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.
- (xxi) A  capacity building workshops  on  "Minimizing Electrocution Risks and Promoting Wildlife Safety Across Power Infrastructure in India" and "Minimizing the  Impact  of  the  Railway  on  Elephants  and  Other  Wildlife"  from  20  -  22 nd November, 2024 at Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.