New Delhi, July 21 (IANS) The Central government provides capacity-building support to the officers and staff of State Forest Departments through institutions to manage and mitigate the human-wildlife conflicts, and also provides financial support, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday

Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written reply, said no data on incidences of human-wildlife conflict from across the country is collated by the Ministry, but it has issued guidelines for the process of management planning for protected areas and other landscape elements.

“On March 21, 2023, the Ministry issued species-specific guidelines to deal with human-wildlife conflict situations for mitigation of human-wildlife conflicts involving elephant, gaur, leopard, snake, crocodile, rhesus macaque, wild pig, bear, blue bull and blackbuck,” he said, reiterating the Central government’s resolve to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts

The Minister said 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 the management of wildlife and its habitat.

Support is also provided 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 and boundary wall 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, he said.

Responding to the payment of relief to victims of wild animals, he said 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.

The Ministry has also issued guidelines to States and UTs on June 3, 2022, on managing human-wildlife conflicts, including damage to crops. The guidelines advise States/UTs to utilise the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY).

MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh added that periodic awareness campaigns to sensitise, guide and advise the public on human-wildlife conflict, including dissemination of information through various forms of media, are also carried out by the respective state governments/Union Territory administrations.

–IANS

rch/dan