Bhubaneswar: As many as 1,398 people have lost their lives in human-animal conflicts over the past decade, Forest, Environment & Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia informed the state Assembly on Tuesday.
In a written reply to a question by Patna MLA Akhila Chandra Naik, Singhkhuntia said the Dhenkanal Forest Division recorded the highest number of fatalities, with 251 deaths. Keonjhar and Angul divisions reported 125 and 119 deaths, respectively.
The Minister added that the state government has disbursed Rs 6,174.68 lakh as compensation to the families of victims. Of this, Rs 1,014.20 lakh was paid to the next of kin of victims in the Dhenkanal Forest Division alone.
Meanwhile, 5,609 animals—including elephants, tigers, and leopards—have died in Odisha over the same period due to various reasons.
Singhkhuntia said the Forest Department has been taking multiple measures to mitigate human-animal conflicts. These include improving and securing animal habitats, tree plantation drives, creating pasturelands, deploying anti-poaching squads, and enhancing surveillance through technology and public awareness programs.
The Minister also shared details of wildlife censuses conducted across the state over the last decade. Odisha’s forests were found to host 2,103 elephants, 30 tigers, and 696 leopards during this period.
In addition, 9.04 lakh and 6.07 lakh olive ridley turtles were recorded at the Rushikulya River mouth and the Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary, respectively, in 2024-25. The state also recorded 159 Irrawaddy dolphins and 710 other dolphin species in the Chilika Lagoon and along the Odisha coast during the same period.
