Man-animal conflict: CM Dhami announces Rs 6 lakh ex-gratia for kin of victims

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], December 10 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday chaired the 18th meeting of the Uttarakhand State Wildlife Board at the secretariat. At the meeting, it was decided that the amount of ex-gratia payable to the family of a person, who loses his life to man-animal conflict in the state, will be increased from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh.
According to an official statement, CM Dhami also decided that in case of serious injury, the ex-gratia will be increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000. A corpus fund of Rs 2 crore will also be created for releasing compensation in incidents of human-wildlife conflict.
The proposal for the re-establishment of the Shivalik Elephant Reserve was also approved at the meeting, the statement informed.
Also, at the meeting, it was decided that a Jim Corbett Trail would be developed in the state. An action plan in this regard will be prepared in collaboration with the state Tourism department to put places associated with Jim Corbett on the global tourism map. As part of this initiative, plaques will be built at various places related to Corbett and track routes will be renovated and homestays promoted.
"These works should be started in a phased manner. Chaurasi Kutiya, which is part of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, will be developed at par with international standards. This area is also important from the point of view of tourism. This work will be done in collaboration with the Tourism department," Dhami said.
The CM further announced that a 12.9-km motorable road from Dhaula to Dokhri via Wari in the Mori block of Vidhansabha Purola and a 5-km Pulinda-Tachhali-Syalinga motorable road in Dugadda block will be constructed to promote public convenience and tourism. For the purpose of promoting yoga and tourism, a museum will be constructed at Rambara, the CM said, adding that a meditation centre will also come up at Chhoti Lincholi.
Dhami also directed officers to step up efforts to minimise incidents of human-animal conflict, urging the forest department and the administration to develop a more harmonious working relationship towards this end.
He added that as an incident of human-animal is reported, the ex-gratia amount should be received by the family concerned within 15 days. It should also be ensured that the kin don't make the rounds of official corridors to claim compensation.
"Special attention should also be paid towards the conservation of Bugyals alpine pasture lands). Effective efforts are also needed to prevent damage to crops inflicted by monkeys and a comprehensive action plan should be drawn up to address the issue," said Dhami.
The CM added that forest department officials should also seek the cooperation of the public to conserve forests and reduce human-animal conflict. He said many issues could be resolved through public participation and cooperation.
The CM also instructed his officials to ensure that special attention is paid to bio-fencing.
"We have to move forward by creating a balance between ecology and economy. Along with environmental balance, attention should also be paid to development," the CM said.
He added that the mantra of 'Mission Life' given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for environmental protection, needs to be followed.
"We have to move forward by following the mantra of 'Mission Life' given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Special attention should also be paid to water conservation. We have to make effective efforts towards mitigation of the impact of climate change," the CM said.
He said full details of the progress of work on decisions taken at Saturday's meeting should be presented at the next meeting.
State Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal said public cooperation is critical to saving forests, adding that more efforts are needed towards creating better livelihood opportunities for forest dwellers.
"Uttarakhand is a state rich in flora and fauna and the responsibility is on us to safeguard and preserve our forest resources and wildlife for future generations. Over the last five years, the number of snow leopards in the state increased from 86 to 121," Dhami said.