GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Ministry of Environment and Forests

RAJYASABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.7
TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2012
Relocation of Elephant Herds in Hassan District, Karnataka

7. SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS be pleased to state:-

a)      Whether Government has prepared any action plan to  relocate the elephant herds  in Hassan  district  in Karnataka  to  larger  elephant  habitats or  elephant camps;

b)      If not, by when this is likely to happen; and

c)      The areas that have been declared as elephant corridors?

ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS
(SHRIMATI JAYANTHI NATARAJAN)

(a)    & (b) The management of elephant herds in States is dealt with by the State Government. Permission to capture and translocate the elephants to alternative suitable habitats for their scientific management is accorded by the Central Government under section 12 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 upon receipt of requests in this- regard from the concerned State Governments. For a plan of relocation of elephants in Hassan District in Karnataka, permission was granted during November, 2011 to the Government of Karnataka to capture and translocate 25 elephants, subject to laid down conditions, in Alur range of Hassan division. No action in furtherance to the permission has, however, been taken by the State Government in view of the orders passed by the Hon'ble  High court of Karnataka in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 14029 of 2008.

(c)    Elephant corridors are identified and declared by the concerned State Governments.  No elephant corridors have been declared by the Government of Karnataka so far.