Lok Sabha Question No. 394 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-05
Subject: Attacks by Wild Animal
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Prajwal Revanna, Ramya  Haridas

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 394

ANSWERED ON 05.02.2024

## Attacks by Wild Animal

## 394.  SHRI PRAJWAL REVANNA: MS. RAMAYA HARIDAS:

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

- (a) whether both the Central and State Governments have failed to prevent/check increasing deaths due to wild elephants attack in Sakaleshpur, Belur Alur Taluk of Hassan district in Karnataka and if so, the details of action taken to prevent this menace;
- (b) the details of deaths and compensation paid during the last three years;
- (c) the details of elephants captured and rehabilitated during the last three years;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to take steps for a permanent solution to the wild animal attacks on people, specially of leopard, elephants, monkey, wild boar, etc. in the country, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to provide adequate compensation to the families of the people who lost their lives, to the people who got injured and to the farmers whose crops were destroyed by the wild animals in the country, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a)to(e) As per the information received from the State of Karnataka, the details of human deaths occurred due to elephant attack alongwith the details of compensation paid, in Sakleshpura, Belur Alur talukas of Hassan district, Karnataka are as follows:

| District, State                                                             | Year    |   No. of human deaths |   Compensation paid (Rs. In Lakhs) |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|-----------------------|------------------------------------|
| Sakleshpura, Alur, Belur taluks of Hassan Lok Sabha Constituency, Karnataka | 2020-21 |                     5 |                               37.5 |
|                                                                             | 2021-22 |                     5 |                               37.5 |
|                                                                             | 2022-23 |                     4 |                               30   |
|                                                                             | 2023-24 |                     5 |                               75   |

The  management  of  wildlife  including  mitigation  and  management  of  human-elephant conflict (HEC) is primarily the responsibility of State Governments/UTs Administration. The Government of Karnataka has  taken  following  measures  for  prevention  of  human-animal conflict:

- (i) The Government of Karnataka has doubled the compensation from 7.50 Lakhs to 15.00 Lakhs,  to  the  legal  heir  of  the  person  died  by  wild  animal  attack,  vide  order  dated 15.12.2022.
- (ii) The Government of Karnataka has captured 14 elephants during the year 2020-21 to 2021-24.
- (iii) Districts  Elephant  Task  Force  constituted  to  tackle  human-elephant  conflict  in  the Hassan District on 20.11.2022.
- (iv) 9.659 Km of rail barricade and 14.00 Km of tentacle fencing completed during the year 2020-21 and 2021-22 in Sakleshpura, Belur Alur talukas of Hassan district, Karnataka.
- (v) Anti-Depredation  Camps  &  Rapid  Response  Teams  are  constituted  in  the  sensitive areas to mitigate the conflict.
- (vi) Elephant task force is headed by DCF along with 01 ACF, 01 RFO, 04 Dy RFO, 08 Forest Guard & 32 out Sourced Watchers.
- (vii) Elephant task force has Control Room functioning 24x7 at Sakaleshpura & complaints are received from Alur, Belur, Sakleshpura & Yeslur range and immediate action is being taken for its redressal. Record are being maintained regarding the calls received & action taken.
- (viii) Elephant task force is monitoring the movement of Wild Elephants in village limits and driving them back to the forests, wherever the wild elephant's movement is seen in village limits.
- (ix) Along with Elephant Task Force staff, Rapid Response Team (RRT) regular front line staff is working to safe guard people and property.
- (x) Advance  warning  system  is  established  by  sending  SMS,  Whatsapp  messages,  mic announcement etc. to make villages aware about Elephant movement. More than 20 Kms. rails barricades by using used railway tracks, have been constructed in Alur range, Doddabetta Forest region to prevent the entry of Elephants from other districts using the State Government funds.
- (xi) To secure and protect the agricultural crops Government of Karnataka provides subsidy for construction of solar power fences under which 50 percent subsidy is provided to framers for protection of crops.
- (xii) Awareness program is conducted in public areas, schools & colleges.

In addition, the following measures taken by Ministry also help in mitigation of humananimal conflict:-

- (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 schemes include Development of Wildlife Habitat and Project Tiger.  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) 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.
- (viii) The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides regulatory functions for  dealing with human wildlife conflict situations.
- (ix) Ministry  also  released  a  Guidelines  for  Human-Elephant  Conflict  MitigationTaking  a  Harmonious  Coexistence  Approach  (2023)  for  addressing  humanelephant conflicts.
- (x) 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.
- (xi) 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, 2023at Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.
- (xii) 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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