CM chairs meeting of State Wildlife Board
my uttarakhand news Bureau
Dehradun, 6 Jan: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami chaired the 22nd meeting of the Uttarakhand State Wildlife Board held at the Secretariat here today. During the meeting, the CM reminded that protecting human life and property along with ensuring the safety of wildlife is the top priority of the government.
Expressing serious concern over rising incidents of human-wildlife conflict in the state, Dhami directed the officials to take more effective measures to control such encounters. He said that vigilance must be stepped up in areas prone to attacks by the bears, leopards, tigers and elephants, and a joint monitoring system must be ensured by the Forest Department and the respective district administration.
The CM directed that regular patrolling, digital surveillance and early warning systems be kept fully operational in sensitive zones. He also ordered the installation of solar fencing, bio-fencing, honey-bee fencing, watchtowers and other protective arrangements in affected villages. He also directed that awareness camps be organised to educate villagers about safety protocols and insisted that Rapid Response Teams must remain continuously active.
Underlining the importance of wildlife corridors, including those for elephants and tigers, Dhami said their conservation should be accorded top priority. He called for more effective implementation of animal passes, underpasses and overpasses on transit routes. He further directed that, if any amendments are required in existing wildlife conservation rules or provisions, the departments concerned should examine them and submit the proposals to the government at the earliest.
During the meeting, the CM also directed that Wildlife Coordination Committees under the chairmanship of the respective DMs be kept active at the district level. He directed that hot-spot mapping for sensitive districts, blocks and villages be completed immediately. He also emphasised that the security arrangements around schools, aanganwadis, water sources and pedestrian paths must be strengthened. He also stressed strict enforcement of solid waste management in rural areas so that bears and other wildlife are not attracted towards populated settlements.
To further promote eco-tourism, the CM suggested that developmental works be extended beyond reserve forests to wildlife sanctuaries and conservation reserves. To reduce conflict and enhance public safety, he also proposed posting veterinary doctors in territorial forest divisions.
During the meeting, the Board approved nine proposals related to transfer of forest land. These include four different drinking water schemes and two specific water projects in the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary in Rudraprayag district, two motor road schemes linked to the Rajaji National Park area, and an optical fibre proposal concerning the Ramnagar Forest Division. In addition, 22 proposals related to the collection of minor minerals within a 10-km radius of protected areas were referred to the National Board for Wildlife for consideration.
Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal said that the decisions taken in the meeting are a holistic and visionary step towards striking a balance between wildlife conservation and human safety, which will further strengthen the wildlife management system in Uttarakhand.
Giving an update on action taken after the 21st meeting, PCCF and HoFF Ranjan Kumar Mishra informed that the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife has approved the redevelopment of Chaurasi Kutiya, the first phase of reconstruction of damage caused by disasters at Mansa Devi Temple and its approach road, the construction of the Rishikesh–Neelkanth Mahadev ropeway project, and special restoration of the Laldhang–Chillarkhal forest motor road. Between July 2025 and December 2025, wildlife management plans for 56 forest land transfer proposals were approved and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) were issued for 29 proposals. The ex-gratia payment for loss of human life due to wildlife has been increased from Rs 6 lakhs to Rs 10 lakhs. Further, 93 Quick Response Teams (QRTs) have been formed across 32 forest divisions for swift action, and approvals have been granted to send proposals to the Central Zoo Authority for establishing wildlife rescue centres in Pithoragarh, Champawat and Rudraprayag.
Among those present at the meeting were State Wildlife Board members including MLA Diwan Singh Bisht, MLA Suresh Singh Chauhan and MLA Banshidhar Bhagat, along with Principal Secretary Forest RK Sudhanshu, DGP Deepam Seth and other departmental officers.
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