MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)
(a), (b), (c) and (d) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a), (b), (c) AND (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *198 REGARDING “LOSSES DUE TO WILD ANIMALS” BY DR. RAMESH POKHRIYAL “NISHANK’ AND SHRI BHARAT SINGH DUE FOR REPLY ON 29.11.2016
(a)Incidences of loss of human lives and damage to crops by wild animals are reported in various parts of the country from time to time and also in Uttarakhand. Due to multiple births and lack of potential predators, various species like blue bull and wild boar etc. have increased considerably and become locally overabundant in many states viz. Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi, thereby causing serious problems which include damage to crops, economic losses and increased incidence of road mishaps due to vehicular collisions. Management of forest and wildlife is the responsibility of State Governments. As such State-wise and year-wise data of such incidents are not collated in the Ministry. However, the data received in the Ministry from the States in National Tiger Conservation Authority and Project Elephant, indicating the death of human beings are at Annexure I (A) and I (B) respectively.
(b) In order to mitigate incidence of human wildlife conflict, the Government has taken following important actions.
(i) Advisories to the States: The Ministry has issued guidelines in context of human-wildlife conflict to the Chief Wildlife Wardens of all the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations dated 24th December, 2014 and 1st June, 2015. The Ministry has specially advised States/UTs, to seek central assistance for Human Wildlife Conflict including if required, use of the legal provision for management after objective assessment and analysis of the ground situation.
State Governments of Bihar, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh requested Central Govt. to include problematic wild animals like blue bulls, wild boar and rhesus macaque in Schedule V in accordance with section 62 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and the Ministry issued notifications classifying the species in Schedule V for limited period in specific areas.
(ii) Augmentation of Fodder and Water in Protected areas/Forest Areas: The Ministry, with financial assistance from Ad-hoc Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), has formulated a scheme to provide assistance to the States for ‘Augmentation of Fodder and Water in Protected areas/Forest Areas’, aimed at improving habitat in the areas by making provision for augmenting grass, fodder and water to the wild herbivores which would decrease the frequency of wild animals coming out of forest in search of food and water and subsequent conflict situations.
(c) The Ministry has received a research proposal titled “Model implementation of crop damage compensation scheme” from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune. The proposal aims to assess the monitoring and compensating crop damage caused by wild herbivores. Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve has been identified as one of the sites for pilot implementation of the project. The proposal has been endorsed to the Chief Wildlife Warden, Maharashtra.
(d) States have their own rates for ex-gratia relief for victims of wildlife attack. State Governments provide relief from their own funds as well from the assistance provided by Central Government for ex-gratia relief in respect of damage to crops and loss of human lives suffered by the victims of depredations/attacks by wild animals. The details of amount paid as compensation and details of beneficiaries are not collated in the Ministry.
The Central Government provides financial assistance to the States/ Union Territory Governments under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes of ''Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats'', ''Project Tiger'' and ’Project Elephant'', inter alia, to make payment of ex-gratia relief.
Ministry has issued a letter no. 14-2/2011-WL-I(pt) dated 21.11.2012 stating the amount of ex-gratia relief for payment to the victims of predation/depredation by wild animals. The details are as follows:
Sl. No. Nature of damage caused by wild animals Amount of ex-gratia relief
(a) Death or permanent incapacitation Rs. 2,00,000/-
(b) Grievous injury 30% of (a)
(c) Minor injury Cost of treatment
(d) Loss of property Value of loss/damage as assessed by authorized officer
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