Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has announced a three-tier strategy of containment, mitigation and compensation to address the growing challenge of human-wildlife conflict in Kerala.

The announcement, which was made at the Governor’s policy address in the Assembly on Friday (May 29), also assured timely relief for affected families and stronger protection for farmers living along forest fringes.

The Forest department, the address stated, would adopt scientific and humane measures to mitigate human-wildlife conflict and ensure peaceful coexistence between humans and wildlife.

The strategy includes scientific estimation of wildlife populations and detailed studies to identify the reasons forcing wild animals to stray out of forests. Besides, the government will examine whether such incidents are caused by an increase in wildlife population, shortage of food resources or scarcity of drinking water within forest habitats.

The Governor added scientific mitigation measures including artificial intelligence, solar fencing, bio-fencing and sensor-based alert systems would be deployed for effective management of conflict situations. He also assured that adequate compensation would be provided in a timely manner to all eligible affected persons in cases where conflicts occurred despite preventive measures.

Balancing act

According to him, the foremost objective of the department was to maintain ecological balance and ensure the protection of flora and fauna while upholding the constitutional principle of safeguarding human life and property. Under such circumstances, the government would not permit any action within the administrative system that made life around forest areas unbearable for people, he added.

Mr. Arlekar also announced that the government would undertake the demarcation of boundaries between agricultural and forest land to protect the property rights of farmers affected by old reserve forest notifications. He pointed out that the move was intended to resolve the longstanding anxiety and legal uncertainty faced by thousands of families.