Lok Sabha Question No. 6 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-04
Subject: Man-Animal Conflict
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Dileshwar Kamait, Ashok Mahadeorao Nete

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 06

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 04.12.2023

## Man-Animal Conflict

## 06. SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT: SHRI ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that man animal conflict has increased in various States especially  in  border  areas  of  Bihar  and  Gadchiroli  Parliamentary  Constituency  in Maharashtra;
- (b) if so, the details thereof as on date and the reasons for such conflicts;
- (c) the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to save the inhabitants, their crops and livestocks /pet animals from wild animal attacks;
- (d) whether any survey has been conducted on the wild animals and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the details of help and assistance provided to State Forest Department in trapping such animals and send them back to dense forest?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) & (b) Incidences of human-wildlife  conflict have been  reported  from various parts of the country. As per available reports in the Ministry, details of human deaths due to  elephantsand  tigers  are  given  at Annexure-I and Annexure  II. The  main reasons for Human Wildlife conflict include:
- i. Degradation of the habitat, depletion of the natural prey base, resource use in  the  wildlife habitat  by  human beings for  various reasons like  grazing, fuel-wood, grass removal and exploitation of wild fruits, etc.
- ii. Increase in population of wild animals due to sustained protection efforts.
- iii. Changing crop patterns, presence of stray dogs and cattle in forest fringe areas etc.
- (c),(d)  & (e) Some of the important steps taken by Government for protection of wildlife and management of human-wildlife conflict are as follows:
- i. The Ministry has issued advisory on 06.02.2021 to all States/UTs to deal with human wildlife conflict situations.
- ii. The Ministry has issued Guidelines to States/UTs on 3 rd June,  2022  on managing Human Wildlife conflict including damage to crops.
- iii. The Ministry has released species specific guidelines on 21.03.2023  for mitigation  of  Human  -Elephant,  -Gaur,  -Leopard,  -Snake,  -Crocodile,  Rhesus Macaque, -Wild Pig, -Bear, -Blue Bull and -Blackbuck Conflict as well as Guidelines for cross cutting issues such as cooperation between the forest and media sector in India; occupational health and safety in the context  of  human-wildlife  conflict  mitigation;   crowd  management  in human-wildlife conflict related situations and addressing health emergencies  and  potential  health  risks  arising  out  of  human-wildlife conflict situations.
- iv. The Wild Life (Protection)  Act,  1972  provides  regulatory  functions  for dealing with human wildlife conflict situations.
- v. Anetwork  of  Protected  Areas  namely  viz.,  National  Parks,  Sanctuaries, Conservation  Reserves  and  Community  Reserves  covering  important wildlife  habitats  have  been  created  all  over  the  country  under  the provisions  of  the  Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972  to  conserve  wild animals and their habitats.
- vi. The  Central  Government  provides  financial  assistance  to  State/Union Territory Governments under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes 'Development of Wildlife Habitats, 'Project Tiger' and 'Project Elephant' for management of wildlife and its habitat in the country.
- vii. The activities  supported  under  the scheme include construction/erection of  physical  barriers  such  as  barbed  wire  fence,  solar  powered  electric fence, bio-fencing using cactus, boundary walls etc. to prevent the entry of wild animals into crop fields.

The estimated wild population of Asiatic Lion, Tiger and Elephants in the country are as follows:

| Name of the species   |   Year | Population (nos.)   |
|-----------------------|--------|---------------------|
| Asiatic Lion          |   2020 | 674                 |
| Tiger                 |   2022 | 3682                |
| Elephant              |   2017 | 29,964              |

Annexure-I

Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) and (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 06 due for reply on 04.12.2023 regarding 'man-animal conflict'.

## Number of Human Deaths caused by elephant

|   S. No. | State             |   2019-20 | 2020-21   | 2021-22   |
|----------|-------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
|        1 | Andhra Pradesh    |         4 | 6         | NR        |
|        2 | Arunachal Pradesh |         0 | 0         | 2         |
|        3 | Assam             |        75 | 91        | 63        |
|        4 | Chhattisgarh      |        77 | 42        | 64        |
|        5 | Jharkhand         |        84 | 74        | 133       |
|        6 | Karnataka         |        29 | 23        | 17        |
|        7 | Kerala            |        12 | 20        | 25        |
|        8 | Maharashtra       |         1 | NR        | 0         |
|        9 | Meghalaya         |         4 | 6         | 3         |
|       10 | Odisha            |       117 | 93        | 112       |
|       11 | Tamil Nadu        |        58 | 57        | 37        |
|       12 | Tripura           |         2 | 1         | 2         |
|       13 | Uttar Pradesh     |         6 | 1         | 0         |
|       14 | West Bengal       |       116 | 47        | 77        |

*NR-Information not received from State.

## Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) and (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 06 due for reply on 04.12.2023 regarding 'man-animal conflict'.

## Details of Human death by tiger attack in tiger reserves in the States

|   S. No. | State          |   2020 |   2021 |   2022 |
|----------|----------------|--------|--------|--------|
|        1 | Bihar          |      1 |      4 |      2 |
|        2 | Karnataka      |      0 |      1 |      1 |
|        3 | Kerala         |      1 |      0 |      0 |
|        4 | Madhya Pradesh |      6 |      0 |      1 |
|        5 | Maharashtra    |     25 |     32 |     84 |
|        6 | Tamil Nadu     |      1 |      3 |      0 |
|        7 | Telangana      |      2 |      0 |      0 |
|        8 | Uttar Pradesh  |      4 |     11 |     14 |
|        9 | Uttarakhand    |      0 |      1 |      3 |
|       10 | West Bengal    |      4 |      5 |      1 |

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