Human-wildlife conflict in Kerala: CAG slams Forest dept for lapses in protecting wildlife habitats

CAG criticises Kerala Forest department for failing to protect wildlife habitats, leading to human-wildlife conflicts, urging corrective measures.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has slammed the Kerala Forest department for failing to protect and maintain wildlife habitats, a situation which, the CAG noted, has led to increase in human-wildlife conflicts.

The failure of the department to protect and maintain wildlife habitats is leading to fragmentation and loss of wildlife habitats and consequent increase in human-wildlife conflicts, noted the Compliance Audit Report of the CAG for the year ended March 31, 2022, tabled in the Kerala Assembly on July 11.

“The failure of the department to prevent the diversion of forest lands for non-forest purposes, protect wildlife habitats from encroachments, unplanned development projects, etc., and maintain wildlife habitats by securing elephant corridors, removal of invasive species, ensuring food and water availability etc., are the major reasons leading to human-wildlife conflicts in the State,” it said.

The CAG audit covered the period from 2017-18 to 2021-22.

While Forest department records show 11,524.91 sq km, which constitute around 29.66% of the total area of Kerala (38,863 sq km), as forest, the CAG report noted that 21.81% (2,513.53 sq km) of this land has been diverted for non-forest purposes and is generally not suitable for wildlife. Of these diversions, monoculture plantations accounted for 1562.04 sq km, while land leased to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), plantations under public sector undertakings and private ownership constituted 514.90 sq km.

In this context, the CAG also observed that the Forest department has not conducted any study on the carrying capacity studies of the wildlife habitats in the State.

Audit noted 445 human deaths from 2017-18 to 2020-21 in Kerala on account of human-wildlife conflicts. There were 3,298 cases during this period where humans were injured in such incidents. Cattle loss numbered 1,630, while 24,425 applications were filed for crop loss/damage induced by human-wildlife conflicts.