Parliament Question: Fencing of forest areas in Kerala

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1499 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.02.2026 Fencing of forest areas in Kerala 1499. SHRI HARIS BEERAN: Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state: (a) whether Government has taken any steps to complete the fencing of forest areas in Kerala, with a view to securing agricultural land in hilly areas and stopping elephant and wild animals intrusion into tribal resettlement areas; (b) if so, the details thereof; and (c) the steps taken by Government to reduce human animal conflict in the State using new technology for fencing of forest areas? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH) (a) to (c) The management of wildlife including mitigation and management of human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is primarily the responsibility of State Governments/UTs Administration. As per the information received from the State of Kerala, the Government of Kerala has initiated special intensive drive viz. ‘Mission Solar Fencing’ for the repair and maintenance of dysfunctional solar power fences installed at various forest boundaries in Kerala and to find out the locations where solar power fences need to be erected to manage HWCs. The intensive drive was launched in November 2024 and 1955 km solar fences have been repaired and made fully functional as part of drive. Also 740 km of new solar fences are under various stages of completion and steps have been taken to identify locations where physical barriers like solar power fences are required to be constructed. To make the power fences more effective a programme has been launched to upgrade all the solar power fences in the state to ‘Smart Fences’ so as to detect the presence of wildlife alongside the fences in real-time and to trace and rectify the dysfunctions parts, if any. The Central Government provides financial assistance to State/Union Territory Governments, including the State of Kerala, under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes, ‘Development of Wildlife Habitats’ and ‘Project Tiger and Elephant’ for management of wildlife and its habitat including support for broad activities like-compensation for depredation by wild animals and construction of physical barriers such as barbed wire fence, solar powered electric fence, bio-fencing using cactus, boundarywall etc. to prevent the entry of wild animals into crop fields, capacity building and also provides ex gratia relief to the victims of human-wildlife conflicts. Further, the Ministry has also issued guidelines to the States/Union Territories, on managing human wildlife conflict including damage to crops, on 3rd June 2022, which also provides for ex- gratia relief payment. The Ministry has also issued species-specific guidelines to deal with human-wildlife conflict situations on 21.03.2023 for mitigation of Human Wildlife conflicts involving Elephant, Gaur, Leopard, Snake, Crocodile, Rhesus Macaque, Wild Pig, Bear, Blue Bull and Blackbuck. ****