Kin of human-animal conflict victim entitled to Rs 24 lakh as compensation, amicus curiae tells Kerala high court

Kochi: The amicus curiae has filed a report before high court seeking appropriate action to address the issue of the lack of awareness and clarity regarding the quantum of ex gratia compensation fixed for wild animal attacks in the state.

The report filed by Adv M P Madhavan Kutty stated that the legal heirs of a person killed in a wild animal attack are entitled to a sum of Rs 24 lakh as compensation –– Rs 10 lakh each from the central govt-sponsored ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat' scheme and under the Rules for Payment of Compensation to Victims of Attack by Wild Animals, 1980; and Rs 4 lakh from the State Disaster Response Fund, as human-animal conflict has been declared a state-specific disaster. Meanwhile, in the case of death due to a snakebite occurring outside forest areas, the compensation will be Rs 12 lakh. The report further cited that, in such cases, Rs 4 lakh is to be paid by the state under the head of ‘state-specific disaster'.

The report noted that, due to a lack of proper awareness, the compensation is not properly provided and even officials lack clarity regarding the scheme. The amicus curiae filed the report against the backdrop of petitions seeking a directive to the state govt to intervene effectively in the issue of rising human-animal conflicts across the state.

The report further stated that the present carrying capacity of wild animals in the forest areas of the state has been exceeded. There is a steady increase in the populations of wild elephants and tigers. Recently, Union environment minister informed the Rajya Sabha that 344 persons died in Kerala due to wild animal attacks over the last five years — including 103 deaths caused by wild elephants, 35 by wild pigs and 4 by tigers. Additionally, 180 deaths were reported due to snakebites.

The report suggested that solar-powered fencing is more effective than elephant-proof trenches in preventing human-animal conflict and noted that it is widely used in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It also proposed other measures such as the installation of early warning electronic systems (currently used in the Munnar region), the use of drones for scanning and monitoring, and the radio-collaring and translocation of problematic animals.