New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Wednesday called for a comprehensive and compassionate approach to human-wildlife coexistence, stating that India's development must protect both its citizens and its natural heritage.

Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, he said that as a country leading global biodiversity efforts and hosting the Global Big Cat Alliance, India has a responsibility to demonstrate that growth and ecological balance can go hand in hand.

Drawing from India's civilisational ethos, Shringla recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis on conservation as an integral part of the nation's culture. He said the recent death of seven elephants in Assam after being hit by a train was a stark reminder that development cannot come at the cost of life, and called for more sensitive planning in ecologically fragile regions.

Highlighting solutions, he pointed to the Kaziranga Model, where elevated corridors are being developed to restore wildlife movement while supporting infrastructure growth. He also underlined India's increasing use of technology in conservation, including satellite-tagging of the Ganges River Dolphin, the first DNA-based elephant census, and focused protection efforts for species such as the Great Indian Bustard, Gharial and Sloth Bear, along with Cheetah translocation initiatives.

Shringla proposed the creation of wildlife-sensitive Special Zones in vulnerable corridors, the formation of Local Conservation Councils involving gram panchayats and biodiversity bodies, and the deployment of AI-enabled intrusion detection systems in trains passing through elephant routes, particularly in North Bengal and Assam.

He said India must now set a global benchmark by building a model of development where humanity and nature thrive together, rooted in both compassion and innovation.