500 people and 100 elephants die due to conflict each year: Centre

nNEW DELHI: The Union environment ministry on Monday said at least 500 people and 100 elephants die in India due to human-elephant conflict annually.

While releasing a document on the best practices of conflict management and a portal on addressing conflict, ministry officials said there are 30,000 elephants in the wild in India and 2,700 in captivity.

Soumitra Dasgupta, additional director general of forests (wildlife), said financial contribution to states for payment of compensation and other conflict mitigation strategies increased by 30% this financial year compared to the previous year. “New elephant reserves have been declared and elephant corridors have also been identified in the past five years to address the problem. Elephants have also been included in appendix 1 of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals to ensure better conservation.”

Sanjay Kumar, director general of forests, said the population and distribution of elephants in India was expanding. “New interactions are happening now leading to more conflict. They are migrating to newer areas. We are trying to identify research methodologies to understand how the population can remain stable in new areas,” he said.

The portal and the document was released by Union environment minister, Prakash Javadekar. “We do not kill animals in India. Animals are revered here. So we have to devise good conflict management practices. We have already started a fodder and water augmentation programme in elephant areas,” Javadekar said.

WHILE RELEASING A DOCUMENT AND PORTAL, MINISTRY OFFICIALS SAID THERE ARE 30,000 ELEPHANTS IN THE WILD AND 2,700 IN CAPTIVITY