Kerala Chief Minister accuses Centre of non-cooperation in tackling human- wildlife conflict

Kozhikode: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday accused the Centre of not cooperating with the state in addressing human- wildlife conflicts. He was speaking after launching a Forest Department project here aimed at reducing wild animal attacks.

“In the last five years, compensation paid in cases of death due to wildlife attacks stood at Rs 79.14 crore. In 2023-24 alone, 95 per cent of applicants received compensation. But the Centre contributed only a minimal amount. Despite repeated requests to enhance the allocation, no favourable decision has been taken,” Vijayan said.

He stressed that the state would not shirk its responsibilities, noting that Rs 70 crore was earmarked in the current budget for projects to counter wildlife attacks.

“The Centre has not responded positively to state proposals. For instance, we requested wild boars destroying crops be declared vermin, but the demand was rejected,” he alleged.

According to Vijayan, the Centre’s stance is that animals listed under Schedules 1 and 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act must be treated as protected wildlife irrespective of whether they are inside or outside forests, and the law cannot be altered.

He said that while the state government is working to simplify complex compensation procedures, the Centre is instead trying to “shift the blame.”

Over the past nine years, 854 people have died in Kerala due to wild animal attacks, of which 594 deaths were caused by snakebites outside forests. Vijayan recalled that the state had declared human- wildlife conflict a “state disaster” last year.

Currently, 400 panchayats face wild life -related issues, with 273 experiencing them regularly and 30 reporting frequent incidents. Conflict- prone regions have been classified into 12 zones, with projects tailored to their landscapes.

As part of preventive measures, the Chief Minister said 1,954 km of solar fencing has been completed along forest boundaries, with another 794 km under installation. Efforts to restore natural ponds, eliminate invasive weeds, and plant fruit- bearing trees inside forests are also underway.

To handle emergencies, 28 Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) and satellite RRTs at forest stations are operational. On tackling snakebite deaths, Vijayan said the second phase of the SARPA project will be launched soon, alongside research to develop an effective anti venom. “We will ensure adequate supply of anti venom in all hospitals,” he added.