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The 22nd meeting of the Uttarakhand State Wildlife Board was held on Tuesday at the Secretariat under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
Expressing concern over the increasing incidents of human-wildlife conflict, the Chief Minister directed that more effective measures be taken to control such incidents. He emphasised enhancing vigilance in areas affected by bears, leopards, tigers, and elephants, and instructed the Forest Department and district administration to ensure a joint monitoring mechanism. The Chief Minister directed that regular patrolling, digital surveillance, and early warning systems be kept fully operational in sensitive areas. He said that solar fencing, bio-fencing, honey bee fencing, watchtowers, and other protective measures must be mandatorily installed in affected villages. He also instructed officials to organise awareness camps to sensitise rural communities about safety and to keep Rapid Response Teams continuously active. Chief Minister Dhami said that the conservation of all wildlife corridors, including elephant and tiger corridors, should be accorded top priority. He directed that provisions for animal passes, underpasses, and overpasses along wildlife movement routes be implemented more effectively. He further instructed that if amendments are required in existing wildlife conservation rules or provisions, the concerned departments should conduct necessary assessments and submit amendment proposals to the government at the earliest. He also directed that Wildlife Coordination Committees at the district level, under the chairmanship of District Magistrates, be kept active and that hotspot mapping of sensitive districts, blocks, and villages be completed immediately. Instructions were issued to strengthen safety arrangements around schools, anganwadi centres, water sources, and pedestrian pathways. The Chief Minister stressed strict implementation of solid waste management in rural areas to prevent bears and other wildlife from being attracted to human habitations. To further strengthen eco-tourism, the Chief Minister directed that works be undertaken not only in reserve forests but also in wildlife sanctuaries and conservation reserve areas across the state. In view of reducing human-wildlife conflict and ensuring public safety, he also directed that veterinary services be arranged in territorial forest divisions. During the meeting, approval was granted to a total of nine proposals related to forest land diversion. These include four drinking water schemes and two additional water supply schemes in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary in Rudraprayag district, two road projects connected to the Rajaji National Park area, and one optical fibre proposal related to the Ramnagar Forest Division. In addition, it was decided to refer 22 proposals related to minor mineral extraction within a 10-kilometre radius of protected areas to the National Board for Wildlife for consideration. Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal said that the decisions taken in the State Wildlife Board meeting represent a comprehensive and forward-looking step toward maintaining a balance between wildlife conservation and human safety, and will further strengthen wildlife management in Uttarakhand. Providing details on action taken on decisions of the 21st meeting of the Uttarakhand State Wildlife Board, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Ranjan Kumar Mishra said that the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife has approved projects including the redevelopment of Chaurasi Kutiya, the first phase of reconstruction works for damage caused by disasters at Mansa Devi Temple and its access road, construction of the Rishikesh-Neelkanth Mahadev ropeway project, and special restoration of the Laldhang-Chillarkhal forest road. He added that wildlife management plans for 56 forest land diversion proposals were approved between July 2025 and December 2025, while no-objection certificates were issued for 29 proposals. The ex-gratia amount in cases of human death due to wildlife attacks has been increased from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. A total of 93 Quick Response Teams (QRTs) have been constituted across 32 forest divisions for swift action in human-wildlife conflict cases. Approval has also been granted to send proposals to the Central Zoo Authority for the establishment of wildlife rescue centres in Pithoragarh, Champawat, and Rudraprayag. (ANI)
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