Kerala unveils ₹1,040-crore action plan to ease human-wildlife conflict in 14 landscapes

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Forest Department has presented a comprehensive action plan to address human-wildlife conflict through a landscape-based approach. The plan, unveiled at a conference of Ministers, Members of Parliament and MLAs on Wednesday, aims to replace fragmented interventions with coordinated, preventive and proactive measures across forest divisions, corridors and conflict hotspots.

The proposed initiative involves a total financial outlay of ₹1,040 crore over four years. Of this, ₹724.67 crore is earmarked for landscape-level components and ₹314.80 crore for state-level initiatives. The state has been divided into 14 landscapes, each to be equipped with landscape-level command and control centres and drone squads.

Key measures under the plan include the installation of smart hanging solar power fences with audio-visual deterrence in identified hotspots, and the provision of all-terrain vehicles to improve forest department mobility in difficult terrains. The plan also proposes promotion of wildlife-resilient crops in forest-fringe areas, establishment of specialised wildlife rehabilitation centres for carnivores and herbivores at Thrissur Zoo, and formation of kumki squads to manage problematic elephants.

Addressing the gathering, Forest Minister Shibu Baby John said the action plan was prepared in consultation with MLAs of constituencies with forest areas, farmer representatives, environmentalists, and stakeholder departments such as Revenue, Local Self-Government and Agriculture, as well as the Central government. He noted that the earlier approach of fragmented interventions has been replaced by a well-defined, landscape-level strategy based on risk mapping and a focus on animal movement routes.

Under the plan's classification of human-wildlife conflict zones, eight local self-government units have been placed in the 'very high' conflict category. These include Thirunelly, Noolpuzha and Meppadi in Wayanad. Fourteen units are listed under the 'high' category and 51 under the medium conflict category.

The action plan also highlights the prevalence of conflicts after dark. According to data published with the plan, 70.9 per cent of the 4,170 incidents analysed during June to August this year occurred between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. The hour from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. was the busiest, with 384 reported incidents. During these three months, human-wildlife conflict incidents, including snakebites, claimed 14 lives and left 63 people injured.

Compensation data for the period from 2016-17 to 2025-26 show 1,001 deaths due to human-wildlife conflict and 10,976 cases in which compensation was sought for injuries. The new plan is expected to address these recurring challenges through early warning systems, better equipment and landscape-specific responses, aiming to reduce casualties and property damage while ensuring safety for both people and wildlife.