Relief hiked for human victims of wildlife

It is now Rs 2 lakh; environmentalists say the increase will lessen retaliatory attacks on animals

Chief Secretary S V Ranganath recently evening approved the long-pending proposal.
Top officials from the department confirming the news said a Government Order (GO) will be issued soon.

“The Chief Minister has approved the proposal which was pending for a long time. A government order will be issued in this regard soon,” said Nagaraj Hampole, Secretary Forest, Ecology and Environment.

However, asked if it had been signed by the Chief Secretary, the secretary said that all that he is aware of is that it had been approved by the Chief Minister. Sources in the Department, however confirmed that the GO has been received by the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.

Sources also said that the significant factor regarding this ex gratia is that there will not be any bureaucratic hurdles to get the compensation as the top officials visiting the spot will award compensations on the same day.

Will support families
Wildlife experts have expressed their happiness over the increase in ex gratia.
“Though the increase looks small for an urban dweller, most people who suffer from human-wildlife conflict are from the financially weaker sections of society, including small and marginal farmers. If the dead person is an earning member of the family the ex gratia can help the family in a small way to support themselves,” said Sanjay Gubbi, Wildlife Expert Wildlife Conservation Society.

Wildlife experts say the Government move will boost the conservation by preventing the retaliation in case of attack on human population.
The State has been witnessing death of over hundred people due to the human-animal conflict of which most of them succumb due to jumbo attack.
As per the records available 489 people died between 2005 and 2009 just due to elephant attacks.

During 2005-06, as many as 150 people died due to elephant  attacks, 141 in 2006-07, 96 in 2007-08 and the number was 102 in 2008-09.
However, this statistics does not includes deaths due to leopard attack and bear attacks. Kodagu tops in deaths caused by elephants followed by villages around Bandipur.
DH News Service