KATHMANDU, August 11: As many as 34 people were killed in human-wildlife conflict in the last fiscal year, according to the Ministry of Forests and Environment.

Last week alone, a woman in Kanchanpur lost her life while a person in Chitwan was injured in tiger attacks.

The woman was reportedly cutting grass in a sugarcane field when the incident occurred.

The Agriculture, Cooperative, and Natural Resources Committee of the House of Representatives held discussions with the Ministry of Forests and Environment and other relevant government agencies on Wednesday on minimising the increasing human-wildlife conflict.

Lawmakers also raised concerns about the need for improved management of wild animals in rural areas, citing increasing difficulty for farmers to protect their crops.

While elephants and tigers pose the most risk to humans, other animals contribute greatly to destruction of crops, according to Sindhu Prasad Dhungana, director general at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation.

“There are about 16 wild animals that cause damage to humans, agriculture, and livestock,” said Dhungana. “It is important to create wildlife-friendly infrastructure, manage tiger habitats and increase their food species.”

According to the ministry, it spends Rs 150 million annually to compensate for damages from human-wildlife conflict.

The ministry provides Rs 1 million in compensation to the families of individuals killed by wild animals and between Rs 20,000 and Rs 500,000 to those who sustain injuries, depending on the circumstances.

Experts recommend better management of food sources for wild animals in their habitat to reduce their encroachment into human settlements.

Lack of manpower for wildlife management has made the matters worse. --RSS