Lok Sabha Question No. 3943 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-18
Subject: Human-Elephant Conflict
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Rudra Narayan Pany

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3943

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.08.2025

## Human-Elephant Conflict

## 3943.   SHRI. RUDRA NARAYAN PANY:

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

- (a) whether the human-elephant conflict is increasing day by day in Odisha;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the number of deaths of humans and elephants is highest in Dhenkanal and Angul districts;
- (d) if so, the forest range-wise details thereof;
- (e) the details of the measures being taken by the Government to check human-elephant conflict; and
- (f) the kind of assistance being provided by the Union Government to the States in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (f)  The details of human casualties due to elephant attacks and elephant casualties due to various reasons like train hit, electrocution, poaching and poisoning, during the last three years, as per the information received from State of Odisha is enclosed as Annexure .  The  forest-range  wise  data  on  human  and  elephant  casualties  due  to these conflicts are not collated in the Ministry.

The  management  of  wildlife  including  mitigation  and  management  of  humanelephant conflict  (HEC) is primarily the responsibility of State Governments/UTs Administration.  The  State  Forest  Departments  works  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 engage  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.    Further,  the  Wildlife  (Protection)  Act,  1972 provides regulatory functions for dealing with human-wildlife situations.

In  addition,  Ministry  has  released  a  Guidelines  for  Human-Elephant  Conflict Mitigation-Taking  a  Harmonious  Coexistence  Approach  (2023)  for  addressing human-elephant conflicts.  Moreover, Field Manual for Frontline Staff on Human-

Elephant  Conflict  Management,  was  also released during the  16 th   Meeting  of  the Steering Committee on 29 th  April, 2022 .

To reduce human-elephant conflict, compensation is provided to people for loss of their  property  and  life  caused  by  wild  elephants.  The  Central  Government  also provides  financial  assistance  to  State  Governments/UTs  Administration  under  the Centrally Sponsored Scheme Project Tiger & Elephant (CSS-PT&E) for protection of  elephants,  their  habitat  and  corridors,  to  address  issues  of  human-elephant conflict and welfare of captive elephants in the country.

***

## ANNEXURE

REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (f) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3943 RAISED BY SHRI RUDRA NARAYAN PANY REGARDING 'HUMAN -ELEPHANT CONFLICT' DUE FOR REPLY ON 18.08.2025.

## Human casualties due to elephant attack in Odisha

| Year                    |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |   2024-25 |
|-------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| No. of human casualties |       148 |       154 |       143 |

## Elephant casualties due to various reasons like train hits, electrocution, poaching and poisoning in Odisha

| Year          |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |   2024-25 |
|---------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Train hit     |         3 |         5 |         3 |
| Electrocution |        26 |        15 |        33 |
| Poaching      |         8 |         3 |         4 |
| Poisoning     |         0 |         0 |         0 |