Parliamentary Committee Meeting on Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation
The Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change met in New Delhi on August 5, 2026, under the chairmanship of Union Minister Bhupender Yadav. The meeting focused on strengthening human-wildlife conflict mitigation through technology, community participation, and coordinated national action. Union Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh and Members of Parliament attended alongside senior ministry officers and Chief Wild Life Wardens from participating states.
Key Institutional Developments
The Ministry highlighted the establishment of the Centre of Excellence on Human-Wildlife Conflict (CoE-HWC) at SACON, WII South Centre in Coimbatore, which was announced by the Prime Minister during the 7th National Board for Wildlife meeting. This center serves as a national institution for scientific research, technological innovation, policy support, capacity building, and community-centered approaches for conflict management. Additionally, the National Human-Wildlife Conflict Portal was launched on July 10, 2026, as a unified digital platform for recording conflict incidents, data management, knowledge sharing, and decision support. The Regional Action Plan on Elephant Conservation for South India has been approved.
State Presentations and Strategies
Six states presented their conflict mitigation approaches. Assam presented a landscape-based strategy for conflicts involving elephants, tigers, leopards, rhinoceroses, wild buffalo, and wild boar, featuring Zonal Human-Wildlife Conflict Risk Reduction Committees for region-specific action plans. Karnataka showcased an integrated six-pillar model including engineering interventions, AI-enabled surveillance, command centers, rapid response teams, community volunteer networks, and e-Parihara digital compensation systems, while suggesting a National Human-Wildlife Conflict Mission.
Kerala highlighted its institutional framework that declares human-wildlife conflict as a State-Specific Disaster, with deployment of Rapid Response Teams and Primary Response Teams across 273 conflict-affected Panchayats, along with community initiatives like Jana Jagaratha Samitis and the SARPA volunteer program. Madhya Pradesh presented its 'Prevention First' model integrating AI surveillance, GPS tracking, drones, Gajrakshak, rapid response teams, species-specific Standard Operating Procedures, time-bound compensation, and community participation through Bagh Mitra and Hathi Mitra programs.
Uttarakhand outlined its strategic roadmap featuring an Integrated Command and Control Centre, 24×7 Helpline (1926), e-surveillance, GPS tracking, habitat restoration, bio-fencing, and village-based volunteer networks. Uttar Pradesh focused on leopard-related incidents, particularly in the Terai Arc Landscape, with strategies including Rapid Response Teams, four constructed rescue centers, solar fencing, early warning systems, and community volunteer programs.
Committee Conclusions and Recommendations
The discussions emphasized that effective human-wildlife conflict management requires an integrated approach combining ecological conservation with protection of human lives and livelihoods. The Committee stressed the importance of modern technologies including GIS, artificial intelligence, drones, radio telemetry, and predictive analytics, while also highlighting the need to strengthen frontline capacity, improve compensation delivery, enhance public awareness, and promote community participation in conservation.
Minister Yadav appreciated state initiatives and emphasized that the National Portal and Centre of Excellence would provide important institutional frameworks for data-driven strategies and knowledge exchange. Minister Singh suggested conducting habitat-based scientific studies on carrying capacity to determine if ecosystems have sufficient resources to sustain wildlife populations, which would help in better strategy planning.