New Delhi, Jul 19, 2022, By Special Correspondent
New Delhi, Jul 19 : Elephant attacks claimed 240 lives in West Bengal and 229 lives in Assam in the last three years, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.
In all 1,578 people died in such attacks in different parts of the country during the period, according to official data quoted by
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav in the Lok Sabha.
Odisha topped the list with 322 such deaths - 117 in 2019; 93 in 2020; and 112 in 2021.
As many as 291 people died in elephant attacks in Jharkhand, 183 in Chhattisgarh and 132 in Tamil Nadu. Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya and Andhra Pradesh saw 69, 57, 12 and 10 such deaths, respectively, during the period, Yadav said in a written reply.
He said the management of wildlife, including mitigation and management of human-elephant conflict (HEC), is primarily the responsibility of states and Union Territories.
On its part, the ministry provides financial and technical assistance to states and UTs under the centrally-sponsored 'Project Elephant' scheme for protection and conservation of elephants and their habitats in the country.
To reduce man-elephant conflict and to avoid retaliatory killing of elephants, compensation is provided to local communities for loss of their property and life.
Various other schemes being implemented by the ministry contribute to the improvement in the natural habitat of elephants by augmenting water sources, planting of fodder trees, regeneration of bamboo etc.
The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act 2016 and the Rules made thereunder also provide for the use of the fund for the development of wildlife habitats, including for elephants, establishment of animal rescue centres, etc. which also contribute to reduction in human-elephant conflicts.
The ministry had issued guidelines for the "Management of Human Elephant Conflict" in 2017. In April this year, it had released a field manual for frontline staff to manage such cases.
Critical elephant habitats are notified as 'elephant reserves' for focus and synergy in elephant conservation and to reduce conflict. So far, 32 elephant reserves have been established in the country, the minister pointed out in his written reply.