(a) whether the Government has launched the `Project Elephant` as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the details of the allocation of funds made on the said project during the last three years and the current year, State-wise and year-wise;
(d) whether the Government has launched any programme to reduce the Man-Elephant conflicts under the said scheme; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and the steps being taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRIMATI JAYANTHI NATARAJAN)
(a) & (b) ‘Project Elephant’ is an ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme which commenced
during the 8th Five Year Plan. The Scheme aims at providing support to the States for
achievement of the following broad objectives:-
1. To conserve and protect viable population of wild elephants in their natural habitats in the
country;
2. To protect the elephants from poaching and other threats by taking suitable measures like
deployment of patrolling squads and intelligence gathering etc;
3. To conserve and protect and, where necessary, to restore natural habitats and
traditional corridors used by the elephants – through eco-restoration, acquisition etc
4. To create a viable mechanism to ensure inter-state and regional and national level
coordination in protecting and conserving the elephant and its ranges;
5. To create infrastructure and other facilities for supporting conservation activities
like veterinary care, management training, humane methods of capture, tranquilizing and
translocation, etc. of wild elephants, as and when required;
6. To improve and create infrastructure for the welfare of elephants in domestic use,
including their veterinary care, training of mahouts and supervisory staff in proper treatment
of elephants in captivity;
7. To encourage and create facilities for research related to the management and ecology
of elephant, and also with respect to its veterinary care;
8. To take appropriate steps to reduce man-elephant conflict through suitable measures, such as
eco-development activities, awareness programmes, scientific management,
ex-gratia payments, deployment of anti-depredation teams, etc.
9. To take measures for detection and prevention of diseases in wild elephants.
(c) The details of the State-wise and year-wise release of funds under the Centrally
Sponsored Scheme ‘Project Elephant’ during the last three years and the current year, are given
in the Annexure.
(d) & (e) The Government has taken following measures under the scheme ‘Project Elephant’
to mitigate the problem of human-elephant conflict in the country:
(i) Measures are taken for improvement of wildlife habitat, viz., to augment the
availability of food and water in the forests, so that the elephants do not venture out of
forests in search of food and water.
(ii) Creation of a network of Elephant Reserves and Elephant Corridors for conservation of
wild elephants.
(iii) Awareness programmes are conducted to sensitize the people about the Do’s and Don’ts in
case of human-elephant conflict situations.
(iv) Training programmes are conducted for forest staff and police to address the problem of
human-elephant conflict.
(v) Setting of anti-depredation squads and development of necessary infrastructure and
support facilities for immobilization of problematic elephants through tranquilization, their
translocation to the rescue centres or suitable natural habitats.
(vi) Construction of physical barriers, e.g., elephant proof trenches, boundary walls and
solar powered electric fences around the sensitive areas to prevent the elephant depredation.
(vii) Payment of ex-gratia to people for injuries, loss of life or property including for
crop damage caused by wild elephants.
(viii) The Chief Wildlife Wardens of States/Union Territories are empowered to permit hunting
of elephants which become dangerous to human life under the provisions of Wild Life
(Protection) Act, 1972.