Ramtek MP Barve raises Pench man-animal conflict issue in Lok Sabha

Time of India

3 days ago

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Nagpur: The growing threat of man-animal conflict in the Pench Tiger Reserve region found a voice in Parliament on Tuesday, when Ramtek MP Shyam Barve urged the Centre to take urgent steps to protect tribals while ensuring their livelihoods remain intact.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Barve said that tribals in villages on the fringes of forests have long been suffering due to restrictions imposed after the reserve was declared a national park. "Their farms are located adjoining the forest. Yet, ever since Pench was declared a national park, tribals are stopped from moving freely. The animals have no such restrictions, leading to frequent tiger attacks. In my constituency alone, 11 people have lost their lives in the past three years," Barve said.
Citing official data, the MP said over 700 people have died across the country in man-animal conflicts over the past four years, including more than 200 in Maharashtra. He accused the government of failing to provide alternative means of livelihood for tribals, despite their role in protecting the forest. "The government has not made a single corridor for cattle rearing, nor has it implemented any scheme to support their livelihood," he said, urging the Centre to prepare schemes that balance conservation with human survival.
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He added, "I urge the government to make provisions that can protect their lives and to prepare schemes that will allow them to farm and establish small industries. This government has been in power for 11 years, but it has not paid attention to the tribals. I would like to remind the government through this House that tribals too are citizens of this country."
Barve's remarks came just days after his wife, former Nagpur Zilla Parishad president Rashmi, slammed the state government and forest department for their inability to track down the Parseoni man-eater, which claimed its latest human victim on Sunday.
"There is panic among villagers due to this man-eater. Many of our villagers have to venture into the fields because it is sowing season. But there is a constant fear as a man-eater is still roaming around," she had told TOI earlier, warning that the death toll will keep rising unless decisive action is taken. Parseoni is also part of Barve's Ramtek constituency.