Mumbai, Nov. 19 -- Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday directed officials to declare leopard attacks on humans as a "state disaster" and to urge the Centre to move leopards from Schedule I to Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which would give authorities more flexibility in dealing with man-eating animals. According to a press note, Fadnavis issued these instructions during a meeting held at Mantralaya with state officials to address the increasing incidents of leopard attacks in districts such as Pune and Ahilyanagar. Leopards are currently protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, which imposes strict limits on capturing or killing them. Fadnavis asked the forest department to submit a proposal to the Centre seeking their reclassification under Schedule II of the Act, which prohibits hunting except in cases where human life is under threat. Acknowledging that leopard attacks have increased in the state, particularly among people living or working near sugarcane fields, Fadnavis called for both immediate and long-term measures to address the issue. Immediate measures include locating and capturing leopards near villages and cities, for which drones can be used, he said. District planning committees have been asked to provide funds for cages, vehicles, and manpower needed to capture leopards. Long-term measures include sterilisation and increasing the capacity of existing rescue centres. Since the central government has already permitted the sterilisation of leopards, man-eating leopards should be located and sterilised, Fadnavis added. The chief minister also directed the creation of two new leopard rescue centres in the Pune district for treatment and rehabilitation. Pune collector Jitendra Dudi has identified potential sites in Shirur, Ambegaon and Narayangaon. The district already has one such centre, in Junnar. According to the latest survey, there are 3,800 leopards in Maharashtra's forests, but the number living in sugarcane fields remains unknown. Pune district officials estimate there are around 2,000 leopards living in sugarcane fields. The state has asked Vantara, a private animal rescue facility in Gujarat's Jamnagar, to take in 50 leopards currently housed in the Junnar centre. Environmentalists and animal rights activists, however, expressed concern over the state's approach. "A large carnivore like a leopard residing within a human-dominated area-such as the sugarcane fields of Junnar-must be removed through ethical and humane means," said Anish Andheria, chief of the Wildlife Conservation Trust. "Human safety cannot be compromised to accommodate such a predator in an unnatural habitat. However, it is essential to recognise that the surge in the leopard population is a direct consequence of the pump storage project established in Junnar, which transformed local agriculture from traditional crops like groundnuts, onions and paddy to a mono crop of sugarcane. In essence, the increasing leopard-human encounters are a direct result of the altered water regime brought about by the dam's construction," he added. Suresh Chopane, an environmentalist from Chandrapur, said that measures announced by the state government for containing the man-animal conflict are temporary. "On one hand, the government is paying compensation of crores of rupees to wildlife victims, causing losses to both the government and taxpayers. On the other hand, the number of wild animals continues to increase. The government should expand and protect forests and corridors for tigers and leopards. For this growing problem across the country, proper study and permanent solutions must be developed," he added. D Stalin of NGO Vanshakti said removing protections for leopards would punish wildlife for habitat loss caused by humans. "Punishing any form of wildlife for its ability to survive in the wild is ridiculous. Leopards are currently in conflict with humans because of shrinking habitats and the destruction of wildlife corridors. Instead of providing safe passage and protecting their habitats, the government is promoting the destruction of wildlife by removing the protection given to big cats. The answer to resolving the human-wildlife conflict is to protect and expand wildlife habitats." Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said that leopards who are born in sugarcane fields have started coming out of the fields because they are not getting enough food. "We have decided to take several measures. Among them are shutting schools at 4 pm so that students will be at home before evening, providing electricity during daytime to ensure farmers don't have to go on the field during the night, and increasing patrolling by the police, among others," he added....