Deepening human-wildlife crisis killed 1,783 Indians, 341 elephants in 3 years
The rising incidence of human-elephant conflict in India has led to significant casualties on both sides, underscoring a grave conservation and human safety challenge. This alarming trend was brought to light in the Rajya Sabha on February 13 when the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) presented comprehensive data on the crisis and the measures being undertaken to mitigate it.
According to the figures provided by the ministry, human casualties resulting from elephant attacks have steadily increased over the past three years. The death toll stood at 549 in 2021-22, rising to 605 in 2022-23, and further escalating to 629 in 2023-24. While the year-on-year increase may not be drastic, the consistent upward trajectory signals a pressing concern that demands immediate attention.
Conversely, India has recorded the loss of 341 elephants in the same period—87 in 2021-22, 133 in 2022-23 and 121 in 2023-24. Alarmingly, electrocution has emerged as the leading cause of elephant fatalities, accounting for over 75 per cent of deaths. The data reveals that 62 elephants perished due to electrocution in 2021-22, 100 in 2022-23 and 94 in 2023-24. Some of these electrocutions were intentional, occurring during conflicts between elephants and human communities. Other unnatural causes of elephant deaths include poaching, poisoning and train accidents.
While the menace of poaching has declined over the years, the persistent threat of electrocution necessitates urgent intervention. The installation of electric fences near elephant habitats must adhere strictly to regulations, and overhead power cables require meticulous assessment to ensure they do not endanger wildlife.
The increasing number of casualties among both humans and elephants suggests coexistence is becoming progressively difficult. An elephant straying from a protected reserve into human settlements faces a heightened risk of being killed, exacerbating the conflict.
To address this, the MoEFCC has identified 150 elephant corridors across 15 elephant range states—Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. State governments have been instructed to protect and conserve these corridors as a priority.
The responsibility for wildlife management, including conflict mitigation, rests primarily with state authorities. State governments are actively engaging with local communities to monitor elephant movements and alert residents about potential conflicts, aiming to prevent loss of human life, damage to property and elephant fatalities.
In addition, the ministry provides financial and technical assistance to states and Union Territories under the centrally sponsored ‘Project Tiger & Elephant’ scheme. This initiative supports the protection of elephants, their habitats and corridors, addresses human-elephant conflict, and ensures the welfare of captive elephants. The recent merger of Project Tiger and Project Elephant aims to enhance resource allocation, streamline conservation efforts and adopt a more focused approach to safeguarding both species.
The most recent national elephant population survey, conducted in 2017, estimated India’s elephant population at 29,964. To obtain more current data, the MoEFCC, in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India and state forest departments, has launched the ‘All India Synchronised Elephant Estimation’.
Previously, the ministry had issued an advisory recommending coordinated inter-departmental action, identification of conflict hotspots, adherence to standard operating procedures, deployment of rapid response teams, and the formation of state and district-level committees to assess ex-gratia relief for victims. The advisory also stipulated that a portion of the ex-gratia compensation be disbursed within 24 hours in cases of human death or injury.
Additionally, on June 3, 2022, MoEFCC had issued comprehensive guidelines to states and Union territories on managing human-wildlife conflicts, including measures to prevent crop damage. These guidelines advocate cultivation of crops unpalatable to wild animals in forest fringe areas, the adoption of agroforestry models integrating cash crops such as chillies, lemongrass and khus grass alongside trees and shrubs, and the development of long-term alternative cropping plans by state agriculture and horticulture departments under various schemes in vulnerable regions.
The intensifying human-elephant conflict underscores the urgent need for sustainable and community-inclusive conservation strategies. Effective management of elephant corridors, stricter regulation of electric fencing, and the promotion of conflict-mitigation initiatives remain paramount to ensuring harmonious coexistence between humans and elephants in India.
