Wildlife and Nature Conservation - Centre for Ecological Sciences

Major activities under the Project include: habitat improvement, fire protection, landacquisition for consolidation of habitats and establishment of corridors, procurement ofequipment (weapons, tranquillizing sets, wireless sets, vehicles, etc.) for protection,census of elephants, immunization of cattle on the forest fringe, payment of ex-gratiagrant for damage to human life and property by elephants, construction of elephant-proofbarriers, construction of patrolling tracks and camps, etc.The main threats to elephant populations arise from the conflict for land, food and waterwith the people and their livestock and the main thrust of the Project is, therefore, onmitigation of man-elephant conflict and habitat enrichment. The number of human beingskilled in encounters with elephants in and around the elephant inhabited forest areas wasreported to be 384 during the year 2002-2003. Expenditure on conflict managementduring 2002-2003 included Rs 2.61 crores financial support provided to the StateGovernments for taking up anti-depredation measures and Rs 1.69 crores for meeting theexpenditure on payment of ex-gratia relief to the victims of elephant depredations.Thirty-eight cases of killing of elephants for ivory were reported from the States. Supportwas also provided for other related items on habitat improvement, infrastructure, antipoachingactivities, etc., to the State Governments, as proposed in their Annual Plans ofOperation.There is a large population of elephants kept in captivity by people in different parts ofthe country. Project Elephant has registered 700 elephants by implanting codedmicrochips for identification of the elephants in Delhi, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.The Project also brought out a book on Management of Captive Elephants during thisperiod to help in the better maintenance of elephants in captive conditions.On the international scene, Project Elephant is involved in the program for Monitoring ofIllegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) initiated under the aegis of the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES), to which India isa party.9.2.5 Wildlife Conservation DivisionThis Division deals with all matters relating to national parks and wildlife sanctuaries notcovered by the Project Tiger and the Project Elephant Divisions. The X Five Year Planoutlay for works relating to this Division is of the order of Rs 485 crores. The Divisionalso acts as a nodal point for the Wildlife Institute of India and the Central Zoo Authority,which are autonomous bodies under the administrative control of the Government ofIndia. The two organizations receive support from the Government of India in the form ofgrants processed by the Wildlife Division. The details on these two bodies are givenseparately. The Division also handles the Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Development ofNational Parks and Sanctuaries” and the Central Sector Scheme “Strengthening ofWildlife Division and Consultancies for Wildlife Conservation.”The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 has been amended with effect from 1 April 2003.The amendments include, inter-alia, provisions that flow from the National WildlifeAction Plan adopted by the country in 2002. Two new categories of protected areas,namely Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves, have been incorporated in theamended Act to facilitate coverage of all biogeographic zones, forest types and wildspecies of flora and fauna, and peoples’ involvement in establishment and management117