Maharashtra Govt Approves Rs 260 Crore Plan to Prevent Human-Wildlife Conflict

Mumbai, 26th May 2026: The Maharashtra government has approved a major action plan worth around Rs 260 crore to prevent human-wildlife conflict across the state. The project includes the establishment of 10 advanced control rooms, artificial intelligence-based alert systems in 1,000 villages, two rescue centres and 10 wildlife treatment centres.

The decision was approved during a meeting of the Standing Committee of the State Wildlife Board chaired by Forest Minister Ganesh Naik at Mantralaya on Monday.

MLA Sameer Meghe, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) Srinivas Rao, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) M. Srinivas Reddy, Deputy Secretary Nikita Pandey, Special Duty Officer Uday Dhage and other committee members were present at the meeting.

According to the Forest Department, the action plan has been prepared to reduce incidents of human-wildlife conflict and prevent loss of human life in forest-adjacent areas.

As part of the initiative, 10 modern control rooms will be established across different regions of the state on the lines of police control rooms. These centres will be equipped with digital systems to monitor forest department resources, vehicles and patrol teams. In case of wildlife movement or conflict situations, the control rooms will immediately alert concerned officials and local authorities for prompt action.

The state government has also approved the expansion of artificial intelligence-based wildlife alert systems in around 1,000 villages located near forest areas. The system, which has already been tested on a pilot basis, is designed to alert villagers whenever wild animals are detected outside forest boundaries.

Officials said the AI-based system would help residents remain cautious and improve response time during wildlife movement in populated areas.
The project also includes the establishment of two rescue centres for captured wild animals and 10 transit treatment centres for injured wildlife.

In addition, 20 rapid rescue teams will be formed across the state to respond to wildlife emergencies. The Forest Department also plans to create around 2,000 Primary Response Teams in villages near forest areas to assist in protecting residents from wild animal attacks.

To address crop damage caused by animals such as deer, monkeys and wild boars, two mobile capture units will also be set up. These teams will visit affected areas, capture nuisance animals and release them back into forest zones. Officials said the units would be equipped with modern tools and equipment.

The government is also considering setting up two sterilisation centres in the state to control the population of monkeys and wild boars.

Forest Minister Ganesh Naik directed officials to implement the approved measures at the earliest, stating that the project would help reduce human-wildlife conflict and minimise crop damage faced by farmers.