Daijiworld Media Network - Pune

Pune, Dec 20: The issue of human–wildlife conflict in Maharashtra has taken centre stage in national politics, with Rajya Sabha MP Prof Dr Medha Kulkarni urging urgent government action amid escalating losses and safety concerns.

Speaking in the Upper House, Dr. Kulkarni highlighted that wild animals — including wild bulls, nilgai, wild boars and monkeys — have caused over Rs 10,000 crore in crop damage annually across rural areas. The situation, she said, is “alarming,” with a significant rise in human deaths and injuries linked to animal incursions in farmlands and villages.

Kulkarni informed lawmakers that during 2023–24 alone, the state received approximately 40,000 complaints related to wildlife damage, with compensation measures proving inadequate compared to the magnitude of losses suffered by farming families. She urged the Centre and state administration to implement concrete, immediate measures to protect both lives and livelihoods, especially in the most vulnerable rural districts.

The MP’s intervention adds pressure on authorities to address growing distress in Maharashtra’s agricultural belt, where farmers increasingly face crop destruction and safety threats due to expanding animal populations and habitat pressures.