SC also directed the Centre to conduct a nationwide survey on measures taken by States to prevent and prohibit hula parties (groups of local youth armed with iron rods/spikes and burning mashaals), use of fireballs, mashaals, etc. against elephants.

Key Reasons of Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC)in India

• Habitat loss & fragmentation: E.g., Elephants raiding paddy and sugarcane fields in Assam and Karnataka.
  • India lost 1.6 million hectares of forest cover between 2000 and 2020, disrupting vital wildlife corridors.
• Encroachment into wildlife corridors: Speeding trains in elephant crossing areas, electrocution by low-hanging wires, and poisoning of crops etc.
• Decline in natural food & water (including due to climate change): E.g., Leopards entering villages in Uttarakhand in search of food.

Consequences of Conflict

• Threaten vulnerable carnivores: For example, over 1,000 leopard deaths caused by human activity between 2015 and 2020.
• Economic Losses: Crop damage is the most prevalent conflict type. For instance, crop raiding by elephants in Odisha alone causes an estimated $10 million in annual losses to farmers. 
• Social & Human Costs: HWC leads to significant loss of life. Attacks by elephants kill more than 500 people every year, with Odisha, Jharkhand, and Assam being the most affected.