Bhubaneswar, Dec 2: A total of 1,398 people have died in human–animal conflicts in Odisha over the past decade, Forest, Environment & Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia informed the State Assembly on Tuesday.
Responding in writing to a question from Patna MLA Akhila Chandra Naik, the Minister stated that the Dhenkanal Forest Division reported the highest number of fatalities at 251. This was followed by Keonjhar with 125 deaths and Angul with 119.
Singhkhuntia also noted that the state government has provided Rs 6,174.68 lakh in compensation to the families of victims. Of this amount, Rs 1,014.20 lakh was disbursed to the next of kin of victims in the Dhenkanal Forest Division alone.
Over the same ten-year period, 5,609 wild animals—including elephants, tigers, and leopards—have died across the state due to various causes.
The Minister said the Forest Department has implemented several measures to reduce human–animal conflicts. These include strengthening wildlife habitats, carrying out plantation drives, developing pasturelands, deploying anti-poaching squads, and improving surveillance through technology and community awareness initiatives.
He also shared findings from wildlife censuses conducted during the last decade. Odisha’s forests were found to support 2,103 elephants, 30 tigers, and 696 leopards.
Additionally, in 2024–25, 9.04 lakh olive ridley turtles were recorded at the Rushikulya river mouth and 6.07 lakh at the Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary. The state also documented 159 Irrawaddy dolphins and 710 other dolphins in the Chilika Lagoon and along the Odisha coast during the same period.
