Forest officials asked to minimise man-animal conflicts

Dehra Dun, May 17 (PTI) Forest officials in Uttarakhand have been asked to take steps to minimise man-animal conflicts and increase the amount given as compensation to the family of victims of such incidents. The directive was given by Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar at a meeting of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) here, an official release said here today. Kumar said the compensation amount of Rs one lakh given to the family of those killed in attacks by wild animals should be increased. He also called for increase in the amount of Rs 50,000 given to those injured in such incidents. Efforts should also be made to ensure that compensation in such cases is paid within 24 hours of the incident being reported, he said. He asked the authorities concerned to disburse Rs one crore to each of the 13 districts in advance for the purpose. Kumar said commercial use of "peerul" (dried pine leaves) should be promoted in the state as it will not only help minimise incidents of forest fires but also increase the income of the locals. Citing an instance, he said 15 private companies have already started making coal from "peerul" and the locals have so far generated an income of Rs 20 crore by collecting and selling them.