Lok Sabha Question No. 4134 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-18
Subject: Wild Animal Attacks
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Smt. Dhanorkar Pratibha Suresh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4134.

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.08.2025

## Wild Animal Attacks

4134. SMT. DHANORKAR PRATIBHA SURESH:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that 25 persons were killed and many were injured/disabled in attacks by wild animals in Chandrapur  district of Maharashtra during the last five months and if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (b) the specific steps taken by the  Government  in  coordination  with the State Government during the last three years to reduce human-wildlife conflict along with the outcome and current status thereof;
- (c) the policies of the Government to ensure timely and adequate financial assistance to the  victims  of  attacks  by  wild  animals  and  the  time  by  which  new  Anugraha Sahayata Yojana announced for Chandrapur district is likely to come into effect; and
- (d) the  long-term  measures  being  adopted  by  the  Government  to  reduce  conflict between  wild  animals  and  humans  in  the  settlements  in  the  core  zone  areas  of Chandrapur district?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a) to (d) As  per  the  information  received  from  the  State  Government  of  Maharashtra,  25 persons were killed and 108 persons injured by wild animals in last seven months in Chandrapur district.

In response to these events, the Government of Maharashtra has installed AI enabled cameras  for  safety  purposes  to  prevent  human-wildlife  conflict  and  established Primarily Response Action Teams for swift action in the villages adjoining the core area  of  the  Tadoba  Andheri  Tiger  Reserve.  As  per  Government  Resolution  of  the Government of Maharashtra dated  03.08.2023, compensation is being provided to the victims of attack by wild animals by the state of Maharashtra. Moreover, timely compensation  to  the  victims  of  Human  Wildlife  Conflict  are  being  ensured  and awareness drives being conducted for stakeholders.

The Government of Maharashtra has also informed that field staff regularly patrol areas surrounding the settlements, conduct ongoing awareness sessions with villagers,  and  implement  schemes  such  as  the  Shyama  Prasad  Mukherjee  Jan Van Vikas Yojana to mitigate human-wildlife conflict.

The important steps taken by the Government of India for protection of wildlife and to address human-animal conflicts in coordination with the State Governments/Union  Territory  Administrations  including  the  State  of  Maharashtra are as following:

- i. 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.
- ii. The Central Government provides financial assistance to State Governments/Union Territory Administrations under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes, 'Development of Wildlife Habitats' and 'Project Tiger and Elephant' for management  of wildlife and its habitat including management  of  human-wildlife  conflict in the country. The  activities supported under the schemes  include  construction/erection of physical barriers  such  as  solar  powered  electric  fence,  bio-fencing,  boundary  walls etc.  to  prevent  the  entry  of  wild  animals  into  crop  fields,  payment  of  exgratia relief to the victims of human-wildlife conflicts.
- iii. An advisory on dealing with human-wildlife conflict has been issued by the Ministry in February 2021. The Ministry has also issued guidelines to State Governments/Union Territory Administrations on 3 rd June, 2022 on managing human-wildlife conflicts including damage to crops.
- iv. The Ministry has also issued species-specific guidelines to deal with humanwildlife conflict situations on 21.03.2023.
- v. The Section 11 (1) (a) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, empowers the State/UT  Chief  Wild  Life  Wardens  to  grant  permits  for  hunting  animals falling in Schedule I of the Act, which become dangerous to human life.

Further,  the  Section  11  (1)  (b)  of  the  Act  empowers  State/UT  Chief  Wild  Life Warden  or  any  authorized  officer  to  grant  permits  for  hunting  of  wild  animals falling  under  Schedule-II  of  the  Act,  if  such  animals  have  become  dangerous  to human life or property.