68 killed in wild animal attacks: Minister

Bhubaneswar: At least 68 people were killed in attacks by elephants and other wild animals in Odisha during the current year, State Forest Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia told the Assembly on Tuesday.

While replying to a written question of BJD legislator Arun Kumar Sahoo, the minister said besides human casualties, 1,087 houses and crops over 2,315.79 acres were also damaged in incidents of the human-wildlife conflict in different forest divisions of the State during the current year. To prevent human habitations located near forest areas from elephant and other wild animal attacks, the government has been taking steps for the roll-out of an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-supported e-surveillance project at Bharatpur area in Chandaka forest division, Hindol of Dhenkanal division and Bantala in Angul division on a pilot basis, he said.

With the help of AI, the forest officials can monitor the movement of wild animals and accordingly, human habitations can be put on alert in advance, the minister said. A maximum of 14 persons were killed in such wild animal attacks in Dhenkanal forest division, while eight such deaths were reported from Keonjhar forest division, the minister said.

Similarly, wild animal attacks claimed six human lives in each of Bonai and Rourkela forest divisions, five persons were killed in such attacks in Angul forest division. The Athagarh and Baripada divisions reported four human deaths each.

Ram Singh Khuntia has informed that the government has so far received 9,168 complaints seeking compensation for the loss incurred due to elephants and other wild animals. The government has sanctioned compensation of Rs 51.92 crore, of which Rs 4.19 crore has been distributed to the affected families while Rs 99.58 lakh compensation money is yet to be distributed.

In another written statement to the House, the Forest Minister said there is a provision to provide compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre for damage to standing paddy and other cereal crops. For commercial crops, the compensation amount is Rs 25,000 per acre, he said.

According to official sources, the Forest department is also providing an ex gratia of Rs 6 lakh to the next of kin of the person, who died in the wild animal attack in the State.