Union Minister for Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav has said the Wildlife Institute of India will assist the Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu governments in preparing a Corridor Management Plan to address the issue of frequent elephant attacks on human habitation.
He was addressing media persons in Wayanad after a meeting with revenue and forest officials, convened in the wake of increasing human-animal conflict in the region, which claimed three lives recently.
The Minister reiterated that the union government is committed to protecting both human beings and wildlife. He noted that under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, the Chief Wildlife Warden is authorised to order the killing of problematic wild animals, which the state governments should use diligently and cautiously to protect the farming community and crops.
The union minister also urged the Kerala government to create a transparent mechanism and protocol for the speedy disposal of compensation to the victims of wildlife attacks.
