Kerala MLA PV Anvar has moved a public interest litigation (PIL) before the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre to frame a plan to tackle human-wildlife conflict. The plea is lodged in view of the spate of recent deaths in Kerala due to attacks by wild animals.
Filed through Advocate Subhash Chandran KR has mentioned recent deaths in Kerala and Tamil Nadu caused by wild animals as the immediate cause for filing of the writ petition. According to the data placed by the Central government in Parliament, 2,657 human casualties due to wild animals were reported during 2018-2023. The plea added that such incidents result in violation of the right to life and liberty.
The petitioner further contended that the country has had numerous cases of human-wildlife conflict across the country in recent years and that the Kerala Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution on February 14 last year urging the Central government to amend prevailing wild life protection laws to prevent human-wildlife conflicts in the state.
Notably, the resolution demanded that the Central law empower Chief Forest Conservators to use lethal force to liquidate wild animals that trespass on residential localities and pose an imminent threat to human life. It also demanded the Centre to declare wild boars as vermin. It stressed on the need for the Centre to implement scientific and humane measures to control the wildlife population and underlined the significant impact of wildlife threats on the state’s rural economy, especially in forested districts.
In addition, the plea also highlighted certain jurisdictions where culling of certain animal species is permitted to tackle overpopulation, habitat invasion, degradation and conflicts with human activities. It has sought directions to the Central Government to take measures in addressing human-wildlife conflicts.
These measures include creating a national policy with expert input, setting up a compensation fund, providing insurance for crops and communities near forests, restoring forest ecology, establishing water bodies and wildlife corridors, reintroducing extinct species or relocating them, using non-lethal methods for population control, implementing culling policies, and adopting technology-based solutions like electric fences and drones.
Furthermore, proactive measures such as waste management, education, and community involvement have been emphasized.