Lok Sabha Question No. 34 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-21
Subject: Amendment in Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri M K Raghavan, Shri Shafi Parambil, Adv. Adoor Prakash, Adv Dean Kuriakose, Shri V K Sreekandan, Shri N K Premachandran, Shri Anto Antony

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 34

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025

## Amendment in Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

## 34. SHRI SHAFI PARAMBIL:

SHRI M K RAGHAVAN:

ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH:

SHRI V K SREEKANDAN:

SHRI N K PREMACHANDRAN:

SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

ADV DEAN KURIAKOSE:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the serious issue of human-animal conflicts/wild  animal  attacks  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  details  of  the  people injured/died,  agricultural  loss  along  with  the  compensation  awarded  to  victim's family during the last five years in the country, State-wise including Kerala;
- (b) whether despite of the Life Protection Act that enables certain officials not below the rank of Chief Wildlife Warden to order the killing of wild animals that poses threat to human life, the said provisions are not being used for human safety and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the number of wild animals that pose a threat to human life killed or transported to deep forest during the last five years in Kerala
- (d) the details of steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure that such animals are killed;
- (e) the details of the proposals/requests received from various States to amend the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, along with the action plan of the Government thereon;
- (f) the future plan of Government to declare the wild pig as vermin for human safety; and
- (g) whether the Government proposes to convene a meeting of the State Forest Ministers to  review  the  severeness  of  the  issue  and  prepare  a  National  Plan  to  resolve  the human-animal conflicts and if so, the details thereof

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Incidences of human-wildlife conflicts have been reported from various parts of the country including from the state of Kerala.  As per the information received from the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations, the details of human deaths over the last five years due to attacks by tigers and elephants are provided at Annexure-I and Annexure-II . The details of compensation provided to  victims  of  human-wildlife  conflict  varies  in  State  Governments  and  Union

Territory Administration. However, the Ministry has enhanced the norms of exgratia  relief  in  case  of  death  or  permanent  incapacitation  due  to  wild  animal attacks  under  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  -  'Development  of  Wildlife Habitats' and 'Project Tiger and Elephant' since 2023, which is given below:

| Sl.   | Nature of damage caused by wild animals   | Amount of ex-gratia relief                                           |
|-------|-------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| i.    | Death or permanent incapacitation         | Rs.10.00 lakh                                                        |
| ii.   | Grievous injury                           | Rs.2.00 lakh                                                         |
| iii.  | Minor injury                              | Cost of treatment up to Rs.25,000/-per person                        |
| iv.   | Loss of property/crops                    | State/UT government may adhere to the cost norms prescribed by them. |

- (b) to (d) The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, empowers the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations for appointment of a Chief Wild Life Warden, Wild Life Wardens and Honorary Wild Life Wardens, for the purpose of the Act. Section 11(1) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 empowers the Chief Wild  Life  Warden  for  management  of  human  wildlife  conflict  situations involving Schedule I listed species. In case of wild animals listed in Schedule II of the Act have become dangerous to human life or to property (including standing crops),  Chief  Wild  Life Warden  or  any  authorized  officer  is empowered  to  grant  permits  for  hunting  of  such  wild  animal  or  group  of animals.

Details of management interventions taken up by State Governments and Union Territory Administrations in accordance with Section 11 of the Wild Life (Protection) act, 1972 are not collated at the level of the Ministry.

The  Ministry  has  issued  holistic  advisories  and  guidelines,  including species  specific  guidelines,  to  the  State  Governments  and  Union  Territory Administrations to deal with human-wildlife conflict situations. The guidelines provide for constitution of State Level Co-ordination Committees. The mandate of these committees include monitoring the human wildlife conflict cases and their  geographical spread,  and  provide  guidance  to  different  departments  for actions to be taken to minimise and prevent human wildlife conflict in those areas.

- (e), (f) and (g) The  Ministry  has  received  a  request  from  the  State  Government  of  Kerala seeking  amendment to Wild  Life  (Protection) Act,  1972  for  management  of human wildlife conflict in the State. The Ministry has examined the matter. At present, there is no proposal to amend the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Further, provisions under Section 11 (1) (b) serves the purpose of site specific management of the population of wild animals listed in Schedule II of the Act, as well as maintain healthy ecosystem, as against generic declaration of such species as vermin

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 34 due for reply on 21.07.2025 regarding 'Amendment to Wildlife Protection Act, 1972'.

## The details of human deaths during last five years due to tiger attacks, year-wise and State-wise

| S. No.   | State          |   2020 |   2021 |   2022 |   2023 |   2024 |
|----------|----------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| 1        | Assam          |      0 |      0 |      0 |      0 |      4 |
| 2        | Bihar          |      1 |      4 |      9 |      1 |      2 |
| 3        | Chhattisgarh   |      0 |      0 |      0 |      3 |      0 |
| 4        | Karnataka      |      0 |      1 |      1 |      8 |      2 |
| 5        | Kerala         |      2 |      1 |      1 |      1 |      1 |
| 6        | Madhya Pradesh |     11 |      2 |      3 |     10 |      6 |
| 7        | Maharashtra    |     25 |     32 |     82 |     37 |     42 |
| 8        | Tamil Nadu     |      1 |      3 |      0 |      1 |      0 |
| 9        | Telangana      |      2 |      0 |      0 |      0 |      1 |
| 10       | Uttar Pradesh  |      4 |     11 |     11 |     25 |     10 |
| 11       | Uttarakhand    |      0 |      1 |      3 |      0 |      5 |
| 12       | West Bengal    |      5 |      5 |      1 |      0 |      1 |
| Total    | Total          |     51 |     60 |    111 |     86 |     74 |

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 34 due for reply on 21.07.2025 regarding 'Amendment to Wildlife Protection Act, 1972'.

## The details of human deaths during last five years due to elephant attacks, year-wise and State-wise

| S. No.   | State             |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |
|----------|-------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    |         4 |         6 |         4 |         5 |         6 |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh |         0 |         2 |         2 |         0 |         0 |
| 3        | Assam             |        75 |        91 |        63 |        80 |        74 |
| 4        | Chhattisgarh      |        77 |        42 |        64 |        69 |        51 |
| 5        | Jharkhand         |        84 |        74 |       133 |        96 |        87 |
| 6        | Karnataka         |        30 |        26 |        27 |        29 |        48 |
| 7        | Kerala            |        12 |        20 |        35 |        27 |        22 |
| 8        | Maharashtra       |         1 |         0 |         0 |         2 |         5 |
| 9        | Meghalaya         |         4 |         6 |         3 |         3 |         7 |
| 10       | Nagaland          |         0 |         0 |         0 |         1 |         1 |
| 11       | Odisha            |       117 |        93 |       112 |       148 |       154 |
| 12       | Tamil Nadu        |        58 |        57 |        37 |        43 |        61 |
| 13       | Tripura           |         2 |         1 |         2 |         2 |         1 |
| 14       | Uttar Pradesh     |         6 |         1 |         0 |         4 |         4 |
| 15       | Uttarakhand       |         9 |        13 |        12 |         4 |         8 |
| 16       | West Bengal       |       116 |        47 |        77 |        97 |        99 |
|          | Total             |       595 |       479 |       571 |       610 |       628 |