Lok Sabha Question No. 252 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-02
Subject: Man-Animal Conflicts
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Dr. Anand Kumar

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 252

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026

## Man-Animal Conflicts

## 252.      DR. ANAND KUMAR:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the increasing incidents of wolves, leopards and other wild animal entering human habitations in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh, resulting in loss of human life and property, including recent incidents in which several persons/children have been injured or killed;
- (b) if so, the details of the causes of this problem and the affected areas;
- (c) whether the Union Government has developed any long-term policy or strategy to control such conflicts, ensure the safety of rural people living in villages and secure wildlife within their natural habitats; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, whether the Government proposes any long-term plan for wildlife habitat conservation, human safety measures and community based solutions in the near future keeping in view the larger public interest?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (d)The management of wildlife including mitigation of human-animal conflicts is primarily the responsibility of the concerned State Government/Union Territory Administration. The State Government/Union Territory Administration is the first responder in Human Wildlife Conflict situations.

As informed by the State Government of Uttar Pradesh, during the year 2025, incidents of humanwildlife  conflict  involving  leopards,  wolves  and  jackals  have  been  reported  in  Kaisarganj  and Mahasi  Tehsils  of  Bahraich  District,  resulting  in  47  injuries  and  15  fatalities.  The  State  has attributed  these  incidents  to  factors  such  as  the  close  proximity  of  habitations  to  Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary and North Kheri Forest Division, illegal sand mining activities, presence of grasslands along the Ghaghra river, lack of awareness among local stakeholders, absence of proper doors  in  many  residential  structures,  difficult  terrain,  and  extensive  sugarcane  cultivation providing cover for wild animals.

The  State  Government  has  further  informed  that  awareness-generation  groups  have  been constituted, drone surveillance teams have been deployed, and advisories have been issued to the local  population  to  remain  indoors.  Awareness  activities  are  being  carried  out  through  public announcements using megaphones, speakers, and other means.

The important steps taken by the Government to manage and mitigate the human-wildlife conflicts are as follows:

- i. 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 for its expeditious payments, issuing guidance and instructions  for  expedited  relief  payments,  preferably  within  24  hours  to  the  affected persons, in the case of death and injury to persons.
- ii. The Ministry has also issued guidelines to States and UTs on 3 rd  June 2022 on managing human-wildlife conflicts including damage to crops.
- iii. The  Ministry  has  also  issued  species-specific  guidelines  to  deal  with  human-wildlife conflict  situations  on  21.03.2023  for  mitigation  of  Human  Wildlife  conflicts  involving Elephant, Gaur, Leopard, Snake, Crocodile, Rhesus Macaque, Wild Pig, Bear, Blue Bull and Blackbuck.
- iv. The Central Government provides financial assistance to State/Union Territory Governments under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes, 'Development of Wildlife Habitats' and  'Project  Tiger  and  Elephant'  for  management  of  wildlife  and  its  habitat  including support  for  broad  activities  like-compensation  for  depredation  by  wild  animals  and construction of physical barriers such as barbed wire fence, solar powered electric fence, bio-fencing using cactus, boundary wall etc. to prevent the entry of wild animals into crop fields, capacity building and also provides ex gratia relief to the victims of human-wildlife conflicts. The States/Union Territories make ex-gratia payments for loss of livestock, crops and human life including injuries due to human-wildlife conflicts as per the norms, which vary from State to State.
- v. The Section 11 (1) (a) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, empowers the State 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 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.

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