Dhami govt to provide Rs 10 lakh compensation for those killed in man-animal conflict in Uttarakhand

The Uttarakhand government has decided to pay ex-gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of those killed in man-animal conflicts. This is an increase of 67 per cent in compensation from Rs 6,00,000 to Rs 10,00,000 by the government.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday announced that his government has decided to raise the compensatory financial assistance amount from the current Rs six lakh to Rs 10 lakh for loss of lives in man-animal conflicts in the state. Dhami said earlier his government raised the ex-gratia payment for man-animal conflict deceased from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh after coming to power for the second time in 2002.

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“The decision to raise financial assistance from Rs six lakh to Rs 10 lakh was taken after the population of wild animals—tigers, leopards, elephants, and snow leopards—had seen an encouraging rise in the past few years, leading to an increase in man-wildlife conflicts. Although the risk of man-animal conflicts has increased due to the rising wildlife population, the state government is using modern techniques and scientific measures to reduce it substantially in the future. The Forest Department is also being provided with drones and GPS technology for better monitoring and security of the people,” said Dhami.

The Chief Minister informed that 14.77 per cent of state land comes under a protected area compared to the national average of 5.27. He said the state government is working to strike a balance between economy, ecology, and technology for the growth of the state.

Speaking at the wildlife week function in Dehradun, the CM directed the forest department to identify and develop at least one new tourist spot in every district without changing its natural state. He said, “A new ecotourism model is being put in place with people’s participation to attract more tourists in the forest areas.”