Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav told the House on Monday that technical assistance is provided to the states under Project Elephant, a Centrally sponsored scheme for the protection and conservation of elephants and their environment in the country. Apart from this, the Ministry is also serious about the recent incident of death of elephants in the states of Jharkhand and Odisha. And a high level committee has also been formed. The Central government is very serious in stopping the human-elephant conflict, stopping the killing of elephants out of vengeance, providing compensation to the local communities for the loss of life and property caused by elephants.
Although this is a matter and the management of wildlife, the management of human-elephant conflict is mainly the responsibility of the State governments.
Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth had raised a question in the Lok Sabha that what is the arrangement for elephant menace in Jharkhand and the loss of life and property due to it? What provision exists for compensation of loss? Along with this, what measures have been taken to stop the conflict between humans and elephants? In response to this question of the Starred Question Hour, the Union Minister said that in the last two years, more than 200 people have died in Jharkhand due to the mischief of wild elephants, in which 74 people have died in 2020-21 and 133 in 2021-22 have lost their lives. Apart from this, Rs 591 lakh has been paid in 2020-21 and Rs 485 lakh in 2021-22 as compensation for property damage and compensation.
On the question of the MP, the Union Minister said that apart from the compensation schemes of the State Governments, the Government of India also provides various types of financial assistance under Centrally Sponsored Schemes, Project Elephant. Under these schemes, there is a provision for compensation for the damage caused by wild animals. In case of death or permanent disability, compensation up to Rs 5 lakh is given, whereas in case of serious injury, there is a provision of giving compensation of Rs 2 lakh. The government spends up to Rs 25 thousand per person for the treatment of minor injuries. For the damage caused to property and crops, the state governments can follow the norms considering their fixed rates and cost. The Union Minister informed the House that the Government of India is absolutely serious about preventing the conflict between elephants and humans and for this many other measures are being taken.
Member of Parliament Sanjay Seth said that he has also suggested in the House that the Central Government should take initiative to stop the human-elephant conflict because it is becoming a national problem instead of being a problem of any one state. About half a dozen states are affected by the menace of wild elephants.
