Syllabus: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Rising Human–Wildlife Conflict
- India faces a growing crisis of human–wildlife conflict across rural landscapes.
- Increasing reports of wild animals entering farmland and towns, causing casualties on both sides.
- Farmers in Assam, Odisha and Karnataka frequently report elephant raids in paddy, sugarcane and banana fields.
- A WWF–UNEP report identifies conflict as a major threat to long-term survival of key Indian species.
Drivers of Conflict
- Expansion of infrastructure has sharply reduced and fragmented natural habitats.
- Fragmented landscapes force animals to cross human-dominated areas for food and migration.
- Agriculture near forest edges attracts elephants, intensifying conflict during crop season.
- Villages near tiger reserves face crop damage by nilgai, deer and bison, leading to demands for declaring species as vermin.
Elephant Casualties on Railway Tracks
- 186 elephants died due to train collisions between 2009–10 and 2020–21.
- Assam recorded the highest deaths (62), followed by West Bengal (57) and Odisha (27), as per MoEFCC data.
Impact on Other Species
- Vultures have declined by over 95% due to habitat disturbance, poisoning by veterinary drugs, and disruption of carcass-feeding sites.
- Their decline has caused increase in rotting carcasses, rising stray dog populations, and greater public health risks.
Expert Concerns
- WWF Global warns that conflict combined with other pressures has decimated once-common species and pushed rare ones towards extinction.
Government Response
- The Centre launched the National Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Strategy and Action Plan.
- Focuses on addressing habitat fragmentation, corridor damage and retaliatory killings.
- Promotes mitigation measures, data-driven monitoring, and stronger habitat protection.