Raipur | Correspondent: Three elephants were electrocuted in the Chuhkimar forest of the Gharghoda range under the Raigarh forest division late on Friday night.
According to the forest department, the elephants – an adult male, a juvenile, and a calf – came in contact with an 11 kV electric wire that was found hanging low.
The incident created a flurry of activity within the forest department, and officials, including Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Styles Mandavi, reached the scene immediately to begin investigations.
The officials have conducted preliminary documentation and are proceeding with the postmortem examinations of the elephants.
This unfortunate event comes as a group of 158 elephants is reported to be moving between two forest divisions in Raigarh district.
78 elephants in the Raigarh forest division and 80 in the Dharamjaygarh forest division.
State pledges action amid rising elephant deaths
In the past two decades, 77 elephants in Chhattisgarh have died due to electrocution, raising significant concerns about wildlife safety.
Despite these ongoing tragedies, efforts to secure necessary funding and resources for effective prevention measures have lagged, drawing criticism from environmental advocates.
In response to a petition by wildlife conservationist Nitin Singhvi, the Chhattisgarh Power Company filed an affidavit in August, pledging to take meaningful action to prevent further elephant electrocutions.
Earlier this year, on June 26, officials from the Energy Department, Power Distribution Company, and Forest Department convened under the leadership of the Additional Chief Secretary of the Forest and Climate Change Department.
During this meeting, it was agreed that existing guidelines from the Government of India would be fully implemented to safeguard elephants from electrical hazards.
Key directives included tightening slack power lines of 11 kV, 33 kV, and LT types, raising wire heights, installing underground lines, and using insulated cables in areas where elephants live and move.
Displaced by mining, elephants face fatal risks from low-hanging power lines
Once limited to the forests of Surguja division and parts of Korba and Raigarh, Chhattisgarh’s elephants have been forced to roam wider across the state due to coal mining encroachments into their habitats.
This displacement has led to increased elephant fatalities, primarily due to electrocution from low-hanging or tampered power lines.
Reports indicate that in many instances, electric wires are either intentionally pulled down from poles or hang low enough to pose a danger to passing elephants.
These issues persist despite efforts to address the problem over the years. The first task force meeting on elephant safety, held on May 20, 2015, raised concerns over electrocutions and prompted a directive sent to state forest departments on May 22 to enforce Section 77 of the Indian Electricity Act, 1956.
This section mandates that low- and medium-voltage lines be at least 5.8 meters above ground and high-voltage lines no less than 6.1 meters.
Despite follow-up letters from the Director General of Forests, including one in December 2015 and another on September 7, 2020, urging the Energy Department to implement safety measures, little action has been taken.
On July 6, 2020, the Inspector General of Forests advised Chhattisgarh’s Forest Department to collaborate with the Energy Department to prevent further elephant casualties.
Later, on July 31, then-Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar recommended the formation of joint committees at divisional, district, and state levels to address the ongoing issue.
However, Chhattisgarh’s Electricity Department, Forest Department, and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) have yet to implement effective changes, leaving elephants vulnerable as they continue to roam into hazardous areas.
Recommendations overlooked as elephant deaths persist
On August 23, 2021, the Inspector General of the Ministry of Forest and Environment sent a crucial letter to the Chhattisgarh Forest Department, urging action to address the alarming number of elephant electrocutions.
The IG reported that 40 elephants had already died due to electric shocks and reminded officials of the need to form state and district-level committees to tackle the issue.
In the letter, the IG highlighted several important recommendations.
These included ensuring that electric wires are maintained at safe heights, surrounding electric poles with barbed wire for added safety, and strengthening poles with concrete.
The letter also called for regular joint reviews of power lines in forest areas by both the Forest and Electricity Departments, implementing annual compliance audits by independent organizations regarding the Indian Electricity Rules, and using insulated cables instead of bare 11 kV wires.
At the 17th meeting of the Project Elephant Steering Committee on August 12, 2022, the issue of elephant deaths due to electrocution was again discussed.
Following this meeting, on September 16, 2022, a letter was sent to all state forest departments, reminding them of decisions made during the 54th Wildlife Board meeting.
These decisions included the need for immediate repairs to transmission lines and cables in protected forest areas.
The directives mandated regular inspections of all power lines running through or near protected areas by officials from both departments.
Additionally, the use of aerial bunched cables or underground cables was recommended to prevent further electrocution deaths.
Existing power lines were to be replaced with insulated or underground cables on a priority basis.
Despite these urgent directives, the Chhattisgarh Forest Department has yet to take any significant action to protect elephants from electrocution.
Power cuts impact elephants and local communities
Wildlife enthusiast Nitin Singhvi filed a petition in the High Court in 2018 concerning the safety of elephants in the state.
In March 2019, following the court’s direction, the Chhattisgarh State Electricity Distribution Department requested ₹1,674 crore from the Forest Department.
This funding was intended to raise the height of 810 km of 33 kV and 3,761 km of 11 kV power lines, install covered conductors, and set up aerial bunched cables across 3,976 km of low-pressure lines to prevent further elephant electrocutions.
When the Forest Department reached out to the Central Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department for this amount, the response was clear.
The electricity distribution company must fund these improvements from its own budget.
The Central Department referenced Supreme Court decisions, stating that if the electricity department failed to act, it could face consequences under the Wildlife Protection Act, Indian Electricity Act, and Indian Penal Code.
In light of this, the electricity department changed its approach. Rather than improving the infrastructure, they began cutting off power supply in areas where elephants roam, negatively impacting local residents.
The situation remains challenging as both wildlife and communities continue to suffer.
Concerns rise over forest department’s response to elephant deaths
During a High Court hearing in August, concerns were raised regarding the Chhattisgarh Forest Department’s failure to implement safety measures for elephants following recent electrocution incidents.
A high-level meeting on June 26, 2024, involving officials from the Energy Department, Power Distribution Company, and Forest Department, had established a consensus on necessary actions.
These included tightening bent wires on 11 kV and 33 kV lines, increasing wire heights, laying underground power lines, and using insulated cables in areas where elephants roam.
The meeting emphasized compliance with central guidelines, stating that power lines in forest areas should be at least 20 feet above the ground.
Additionally, conductors on 11 kV and low-tension lines were to be replaced with covered conductors.
However, no specific timeline was set for these critical improvements.
Despite the urgency of the situation, the Forest Department’s commitment to these actions has come into question.
It has continuously opposed petitions concerning elephant electrocutions, indicating a lack of urgency in addressing the issue.
The recent deaths of three elephants have reignited scrutiny over the Forest Department’s effectiveness in protecting wildlife in the state.
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