Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Nov 18: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday instructed officials to place a proposal before the next state cabinet meeting to classify the rising number of leopard attacks on humans as a ‘state disaster’. The decision comes amid a worrying increase in fatalities across Pune, Ahilyanagar, and parts of the Konkan region.
Fadnavis also directed officials to draft a proposal seeking the removal of leopards from Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act—where they currently receive the highest level of protection—and their inclusion in Schedule II, which would allow more flexible intervention when human lives are threatened.
He stressed the need for immediate installation of cages in vulnerable areas and announced that two new rescue centres for treatment and rehabilitation of leopards would be established in Pune district within the next two to three months.
Chairing a high-level meeting, the chief minister noted that restrictions imposed by the species’ Schedule I status limit actions taken against man-eating leopards. “A proposal should be sent to the Centre to remove leopards from Schedule One. Sterilisation permission has already been received, so man-eating leopards must be identified and sterilised,” he said.
Fadnavis outlined a two-tier strategy to curb attacks:
Urgent Measures:
• Identify and capture leopards spotted near villages and urban areas
• Use drone assistance for tracking
• Allocate district planning funds for cages, vehicles, and manpower
Long-Term Measures:
• Implement systematic sterilisation of leopards
• Establish two dedicated rescue centres in Pune for housing captured man-eating leopards
• Expand capacity at existing facilities, including the Gorewada centre in Nagpur
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar added that, for children’s safety, school timings in affected districts will be revised to 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. until conditions improve.
The state government’s intensified response comes as leopard–human conflict reaches critical levels, prompting urgent policy reconsiderations and large-scale preventive measures.