To insure farmers against crop and property damage caused by elephant raids and other animals, the Union environment and forest ministry has moved a formal proposal to cover these damages under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. In March, environment ministry officials had met with officials from the union agriculture ministry to discuss the issue and earlier this month a formal note was moved. The note to the agriculture ministry says that "to provide adequate and timely relief to farmers and rural poor against crop depredation caused by elephants and other wild animals, the Project Elephant and Wildlife Divisions of this ministry may be included in the crop insurance scheme. The agriculture ministry has agreed to the idea in-principle and has committed to bring out necessary modifications in the existing operation guidelines of the crop insurance scheme. Based on the official note that environment ministry has sent, insurance companies will be called in to decide norms of insurance coverage to farmers against wildlife depredation, the official note said. The environment ministry's note has conveyed to the agriculture ministry that there is a rise in human-wildlife conflict due to large changes in land-use patterns, destruction and fragmentation of forests. In case of elephants, on an average, more than 72% of its migratory route falls outside protected areas, causing intense man-animal conflict including loss of crops and fatalities. It is estimated that every year more than 400 persons and 100 elephants are killed due to human elephant conflicts. The note added, "The extent of crop damage in monetary term varies from few lakhs to Rs. 200-400 crores." As per official data, in 2014-15, central and state governments paid nearly Rs.35 crore as total compensation for the crop damage. Apart from elephants, wild animals such as deers, Nilgai, Blackbuck, wild pigs, monkeys and birds caused damage to standing crops. Environment ministry officials said that convergence of the scheme at the state level will be easy, as the infrastructure of the scheme already exists in all the states and union territories. As per the Prime Minister's crop insurance scheme, a farmer has to pay 2% premium for all Kharif crops , 1.5% for all Rabi crops of the sum insured or actuarial rate, whichever is less. "The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is set to be rolled during the upcoming Kharif season and we are almost done with the bidding process for insurance companies," said Shobhana Pattanayak, secretary, union agriculture ministry. Source - http://www.dnaindia.com/