MAN VS ANIMAL

State declares ₹15 lakh compensation for deaths due to wild animal attacks, highest for any state in India

MUMBAI: Families of those killed in wild animal attacks will get a compensation of ₹15 lakh, instead of ₹10 lakh, the Maharashtra government announced on Thursday.

After the hike, Maharashtra tops the list of states offering compensation for man-animal conflict deaths, with Kerala second at ₹10 lakh. Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu pay ₹5 lakh to the victim’s kin.

In Maharashtra, the compensation has been gradually hiked from ₹4 lakh in 2014 to ₹8 lakh in 2015 to ₹10 lakh in July this year. So far, 19 people have lost their lives in wild animal attacks in the state this year, with ₹176 lakh paid as compensation to their kin.

“One can never compensate loss of life, but this is only a small attempt by the state to safeguard the future of families facing such tragedies,” forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar told HT.

According to the government resolution (GR) issued on Wednesday, the victim’s family will get ₹15 lakh, of which ₹3 will be given immediately and the remaining amount would be kept in a fixed deposit at a nationalised bank. The GR also states the list of wild animals – tiger, leopard, bear, bison, wild boar, fox, hyena, wolf, crocodile, elephant, and Compensation given by states for attack on humans by wild animals.

Maharashtra

Kerala

Madhya Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh

Tamil Nadu

West Bengal

Punjab

Chhattisgarh

Tripura wild dogs – that will be covered.

While there has been no hike in the ₹5 lakh compensation for those permanently handicapped in a wild animal attack, the compensation to be paid for loss of livestock has been increased from ₹40,000 to ₹60,000, or 75% of the market cost of the cattle, whichever is less, the GR states.

Virendra Tiwari, additional principal chief conservator of forest (Mantralaya), Maharashtra forest department, said Mungantiwar announced the decision during the ongoing Assembly session, during a debate on tigress T-1, who was killed on November 2.

The tigress had reportedly killed 13 people since 2016 at the Pandharkwada forest in Yavatmal Deaths due to man-animal conflict and how much was paid to victims over the years Deaths Compensation (in ₹)

Human lives lost due to man-animal conflict

2013-14 district. Mungantiwar had earlier told the Assembly that the state had no option but to kill the tigress.

The petitioner, who had approached the Supreme Court, to stop T-1’s killing, welcomed the hike in compensation but said the process to give it needed to be made stronger.

“If ₹15 lakh is being paid from the taxpayers’ money, there needs to be a thorough investigation of how the death occurred with forensic evidence validating it, and following it up with due diligence by independent experts,” said Sarita Subramaniam from Earth Brigade Foundation. “Unless there is sensitisation or awareness, this is just an electoral gimmick.”