Kozhikode (Keralam) | Keralam Minister Shibu Baby John on Tuesday said the government has decided to double compensation for deaths and crop losses caused by wildlife attacks.
The decision was taken following discussions with the Chief Minister (V D Satheesan), who also holds the Finance portfolio, and the Agriculture minister, he said.
John was speaking after inaugurating a state-level conclave on 'Farmer Safety-Mitigation of Human-Wildlife Conflict', organised jointly by the Forest and Agriculture departments here.
Under the revised rates, compensation of Rs 15 will be provided for each coconut destroyed by wildlife, including monkeys, while Rs 30 will be given for each cocoa plant damaged, the minister said.
The state Forest minister said steps would be taken to prevent delays in disbursing financial assistance for crop losses.
The human-wildlife conflict would not be treated as the sole responsibility of the Forest department and would instead be addressed through coordinated interventions by the Agriculture and Revenue departments, John said.
Local knowledge would be combined with modern technology to strengthen measures to protect the lives and property of farmers, he said.
The minister said the government would not acquire land under measures related to Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ) or Ecologically Fragile Land (EFL) without providing eligible compensation.
Such land would be acquired only after its basic value is assessed, and eligible compensation is ensured, he said.
The government was adopting a three-pronged strategy to mitigate human-wildlife conflict-containment, mitigation and compensation, John said.
As part of the strategy, high-conflict areas have been identified and 55 priority panchayats selected for the deployment of multi-layered defence systems.
A pilot project linking homestays and backpacking with eco-tourism would soon be launched to provide additional income to farmers living near forest areas, he said.
The government would promote the cultivation of crops less vulnerable to wildlife damage, such as high-curcumin turmeric, along with better marketing facilities, the minister added.
Agriculture Minister T Siddique presided over the function.