By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 2 Dec: With human–wildlife conflict rising sharply across the Himalayan region, the Himalayan Black Bear is rapidly emerging as a major threat and concern for, both, the administration and rural communities in Uttarakhand. The bears are not only involved in increasing incidents of attacks on humans but they are also causing extensive damage to agricultural fields. Bears are known to consume standing crops such as mandua (finger millet) and vegetables, and their heavy movement through fields results in additional destruction of farmlands already vulnerable to erratic weather patterns.
Speaking to Garhwal Post, Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal asserted that, in view of increasing cases of crop losses due to bears, he has directed the forest department to prepare a proposal to include the losses caused to the crops by the bears in the compensation scheme for the farmers. So far, there has been no such provision and the compensation scheme includes deer and other antelopes, wild boars, monkeys and elephants.
In pursuit of the direction given in this regard by Uniyal, the Uttarakhand Forest Department is now preparing a proposal to include bears in the category of wild animals for which farmers are eligible to receive compensation for crop damage. At present, bears do not fall within the ambit of the State’s crop compensation list, which mainly covers elephants, wild boars, nilgai, deer and monkeys. Consequently, farmers in hills who have suffered extensive losses due to bear intrusion receive no financial relief at present. The officials shared that the proposal is being formally sent to the government for approval to ensure that farmers in high-conflict zones can be supported through a structured compensation mechanism.
The forest officials note that several parts of Kumaon and Garhwal, particularly areas from Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Chamoli and Uttarkashi, have reported increased number of bear sightings near the farms. Recent incidents in Munsyari, Kapkot and Joshimath blocks have underlined growing anxiety among villagers after multiple cases of crop destruction and close encounters. Unfortunately, the bear encounters of late are resulting not only in crop losses but also increasing number of attacks on humans. A significant number of repeated bear attacks have been reported in Almora and Nainital districts, prompting the gram sabhas to demand immediate state intervention. According to frontline forest staff, shrinking natural food availability, changing forest patterns and increasing human settlement around forest fringes have driven bears closer to habitations.
The Forest Department said the exclusion of bears from the current compensation framework is causing distress among farmers who cultivate mandua, potato, beans and seasonal vegetables. The officials have warned that continuous losses without relief risk deepening rural economic vulnerability and may accelerate migration from hill villages, which has already been flagged as a major socio-economic concern in recent surveys by the Migration Commission.
The officials believe that such a step will not only reduce the financial burden on farming families but also strengthen trust between villagers and the administration as the State attempts to manage human–wildlife conflict more effectively.
It may also be pertinent to remind here that the government has, in recent years, revised compensation amounts for human fatalities caused by wildlife attacks, raising the amount from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 10 lakh earlier this year. However, the compensation amount for crop losses by the wild animals remains rather low and is given mainly as ex-gratia amount not as a compensation against the losses. The villagers as well as the activists urge that crop loss compensation must also evolve in accordance with changing ground realities. They argue that agricultural loss is not merely a financial setback but impacts food security and household livelihoods, particularly in remote hill districts where farming remains the primary source of sustenance.
The forest officers concede that bears, in the past mainly confined to higher forested zones, are now increasingly entering the fields and even approaching village homes. Deforestation, climate-linked habitat changes and garbage mismanagement near settlements have contributed to altered animal movement patterns. Environmental researchers have noted similar trends in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, where bear–human encounters have also risen in recent years.
