Steps taken for protection of wildlife and management of human-wildlife conflict

As per population assessment, the population of Asiatic lion, tiger and elephants are not showing decline. The details of the population assessment of these animals are as follows:

Management of wildlife and its habitats including population assessment and control of poaching is primarily the responsibility of the respective States/Union Territories. The important steps taken by Government for protection of wildlife and management of human-wildlife conflict are as follows:

1. The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides for stringent punishment for violation of its provisions. The Act also provides for forfeiture of any equipment, vehicle or weapon that is used for committing wildlife offence(s).
2. Alerts and advisories were issued by WCCB on poaching and illegal trade of wildlife to the concerned State and Central agencies for preventive action.
3. The Ministry has issued advisory on 06.02.2021 to all States/UTs to deal with human wildlife conflict situations.
4. The Ministry has issued Guidelines to States/UTs on 3^rd June, 2022 on managing Human Wildlife conflict including damage to crops.
5. The Ministry has released species specific guidelines on 21.03.2023 for mitigation of Human -Elephant, -Gaur, -Leopard, -Snake, -Crocodile, -Rhesus Macaque, -Wild Pig, -Bear, -Blue Bull and -Blackbuck Conflict as well as Guidelines for cross cutting issues such ascooperation between the forest and media sector in India; occupational health and safety in the context of human–wildlife conflict mitigation; crowd management in human-wildlife conflict related situations and addressing health emergencies and potential health risks arising out of human-wildlife conflict situations.
6. Government of India has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)/guidelines to manage Human-Tiger/Human-Leopard /Human-Elephant conflict.
7. Anetwork of Protected Areas namely viz., National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves covering important wildlife habitats have been created all over the country under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to conserve wild animals and their habitats.
8. The Central Government provides financial assistance to State/Union Territory Governments under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes ‘Development of Wildlife Habitats, ‘Project Tiger’ and ‘Project Elephant’ for management of wildlife and its habitat in the country.
9. The activities supported under the scheme include construction/erection of physical barriers such as barbed wire fence, solar powered electric fence, bio-fencing using cactus, boundary walls etc. to prevent the entry of wild animals into crop fields.
10. The local communities are involved in conservation measures through eco-development activities which help the forest departments in protection of wildlife

This information was given by the Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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MJPS/NSK