Uttarakhand pays Rs 19.5 crore to families affected by wildlife conflicts
Dehradun: Uttarakhand has disbursed Rs 19.5 crore in compensation to families affected by human-wildlife conflict in the 2024–25 financial year, officials said at the 21st meeting of the state wildlife board in Dehradun on Thursday.
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami chaired the meeting and directed forest department officials to focus on both conservation and linking forest wealth to local livelihoods.
Dhami asked the department to prepare a 10-year plan to promote eco-tourism near forest areas and suggested developing a digital tracking system for real-time monitoring of conflict incidents and faster compensation payouts. "Eco-tourism activities must be scaled up near forest zones, while also ensuring prompt relief to those impacted by wildlife encounters," Dhami said.
He also instructed authorities to expedite the zoo and safari project in Haldwani and fast-track the renovation of Chaurasi Kutiya in Rishikesh. He called for improved maintenance of forest rest houses to attract more tourists and increase revenue. He further asked the forest and finance departments to work jointly on integrating forest resources with livelihoods. The CM also asked officials to give special attention to conserving the endangered Mahseer fish species.
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In a key development, the board approved 25 proposals concerning forest land transfers and projects located in protected areas or their 10-km buffer zones. These proposals will now be sent to the National Board for Wildlife for final clearance. The board also granted in-principle approval for managing the Rudranath pilgrimage route through the Eco Development Committee (EDC) and setting up a mini transit treatment centre under the Kedarnath wildlife division in Gopeshwar.
Officials from the forest department said 22 major wildlife-related projects received approval from the National Board for Wildlife since the previous meeting. They also said over 75,000 monkeys were sterilised in the past three years under the state's monkey population control programme, with a further target of 40,000 set for 2024–25 across 27 forest divisions.
Responding to a directive issued by the CM in the last meeting, divisional forest officers are now visiting conflict sites and disbursing compensation directly to affected families, officials confirmed.
The board also noted that four new eco-tourism zones have been established this year as part of the govt's wider efforts to promote sustainable tourism and boost local economies.
Speaking at the meeting, forest minister Subodh Uniyal said, "Uttarakhand is a state rich in biodiversity. We must continue to sustainably utilise our forest resources and find ways to integrate them with community livelihoods. It is also time to develop new tourist destinations within our forest landscapes."
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