Shock and awe: Elephants within the killing fields of Odisha

Express News Service

In October 2018, a giant herd of elephants walked previous Kamalanga village in Dhenkanal. Some members of the group got here in touch with a high-voltage reside wire. Social and sentient as they’re, different elephants of the herd tried to assist these in misery solely to pay with their lives. That was the largest elephant electrocution tragedy within the state – seven elephants perished in a single go.

Four years therefore, little or no appears to have modified on the bottom. Odisha authorities might have been pumping in crores of rupees to offer protected passage to wild elephants however energy traces are one of many greatest unnatural killers of the mild giants.

Information furnished by the Forest and Environment division earlier than the State Assembly would present that between 2011-12 and 2021-22, about 935 elephants died in Odisha. A whopping 135 of these casualties have been attributable to electrocution alone. Only Assam rivals the state within the sheer quantity of elephant electrocution deaths.

Changing crop patterns, habitat loss, displacement by mining and infrastructure tasks, local weather change and rising intolerance of communities dwelling near elephant-occurring forests have wreaked havoc. Experts additionally level at a curious reality – rising elephant actions exterior the forest areas are drawing these lengthy rangers to their demise.

Data reveals that the proportion of electrocution circumstances in opposition to total elephant deaths, shockingly, has been on the rise within the State. From a median of 10 to fifteen per cent, it has jumped to almost 25 per cent within the present yr. Statistics recommend elephant deaths attributable to electrocution are always on the rise since 2019-20.  From seven in 2019-20, it grew to eight in 2020-21 and 13 in 2021-22. In 2022-23 alone, the demise toll resulting from electrocution has touched an alarming 14, surpassing figures of the earlier three years. 

At least seven elephants fell to electrocution – both unintentional or deliberate – within the state since October first week. Half of the 14 elephant electrocution deaths this monetary yr have been reported from Athamallik, Bamra, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Khurda, Satkosia and Ghumusar South wildlife division and occurred in a single month and a half.

Eight years again, alarmed by the deaths, the state authorities created a brand new scheme that aimed toward creating energy methods that present elephants a protected passage and shield them from unintentional deaths. The authorities yearly spends crores of rupees for floor clearance of {the electrical} transmission networks, insulated cabling and different rectification works to guard the pachyderms. 

Data accessed by The New Indian Express present that the Energy Department has allotted round Rs 520 crore to the distribution corporations beneath the ‘System Strengthening for Elephant Corridor and Movement Areas’ scheme in since 2013-14. 

Last yr, the division offered round one other 445 crores to extend the bottom clearance {of electrical} networks and change naked conductors in elephant corridors and their motion areas. 
All this funding however, the work progress has remained sluggish. Out of the three,814 km of transmission traces recognized in susceptible stretches of elephant motion areas, cabling has been accomplished over lower than 2,500 km. 

Similarly, of 13,606 factors recognized for rectification of sagging factors, tilted poles and fixing of spikes and interposing poles, work has been accomplished in somewhat over 3,500 factors. Forest officers level out the variety of pending works could possibly be much more if one appears to be like into particulars of the progress of power infrastructure strengthening on the divisional degree. 

In Keonjhar, as an illustration, sources mentioned, 476 km of cabling is but to be finished for 11 KV and 33 KV networks. This district, a hub of mining actions, stays a graveyard for the jumbos. The electrical energy infrastructure hazard evaluation of the Keonjhar territorial division, house to numerous elephants, reveals sagging must be decreased at 1,850 interposing poles and fencing is required for round 646 transformers on a precedence foundation. Besides, spiking must be carried out in 3,430 electrical energy poles in elephant motion areas of the division. 

During a coordination assembly of the forest, power departments and discom officers in May, officers of the Keonjhar division expressed robust disappointment over poor rectification work. “There was no progress in the cabling of lines and fencing of open transformers. Besides, the tripping data was also ‘not being shared’ by the energy officials despite a number of review meetings under the chairmanship of the collector,” mentioned an insider. 

The discoms – owned by Tata Power – have their very own sorry tales. Tata Power Northern Odisha Distribution Limited (TPNODL) officers, on circumstances of anonymity, attributed the delay to pending court docket circumstances, value escalation of supplies and delay within the finalisation of the tender course of. Similarly, TP Western Odisha Distribution Limited (TPWODL) officers level out that getting the fitting contractor for correct implementation of the undertaking is a giant fear. 

While discom officers say unintentional electrocution has decreased in comparison with deliberate electrocution carried out by poachers in recent times, wildlife specialists say coordination of the power division, distribution corporations and native administration is a should for the forest division to stop electrocution even whether it is deliberate. 

In the final 5 years, a minimum of 26 elephants have fallen to unintentional electrocution which refers back to the huge animals coming in touch with energy traces. Another 40 walked into reside wire traps arrange by villagers – both to stop crop-raiding animals or for bush meat looking. Either means, elephants have paid for his or her lives.

“Without initiatives of district administrations, discoms, as well as police, deliberate electrocution, cannot be contained,” says honorary wildlife warden for Angul Aditya Chandra Panda who factors out that deliberate electrocution for poaching has reached a really disturbing proportion. 

“Though it is primarily intended for bush meat hunting, it caused a significant number of wildlife casualties including the death of elephants and leopards. The forest department and provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act are still not equipped to contain it fully. This needs to be addressed at the earliest,” Panda mentioned. Electrocution demise of untamed animals should be handled as a regulation and order situation as an alternative of a mere wildlife crime, he says. 

The Forest division maintains that joint forest patrolling involving linemen and different area employees of discoms has been elevated to minimise electrocution incidents. The drive was launched in wildlife and territorial divisions the place elephants are susceptible to electrocution deaths. A listing of villages the place poaching by deliberate hooking of electrical transmission traces has been offered to the power division to take efficient measures to keep away from deliberate electrocution mentioned. 

RCCF Angul and Satkosia area director M Yogajayanand mentioned forest divisions within the circle marked ranges and beats into completely different susceptible zones. “Joint patrolling by forest and electrical staff is carried out twice a day in these zones that have been found to be more vulnerable,” he mentioned.

Keonjhar DFO Dhamdhere Dhanraj Hanumant mentioned the joint patrolling is held day-after-day, whereas through the inspection, the groups preserve a report of particulars of susceptible electrical infrastructure, the place energy traces are dangling or transformers don’t have barricades and there may be the opportunity of hooking and so forth.

While PCCF Wildlife SK Popli was not out there for feedback, a senior official from Wildlife Wing reiterated that elevated coordination between the power division and discoms can stop decelerate electrocution of untamed animals. 

Apart from sending employees for joint patrolling and inspection of susceptible pockets, the power division should bookcases in opposition to individuals arrested in electrocution circumstances beneath Electricity Act. “We have already requested the department as well as discoms to initiate measures in this regard,” he mentioned. Energy secretary Nikunja Bihari Dhal couldn’t be reached for his remark on this matter.

In October 2018, a giant herd of elephants walked previous Kamalanga village in Dhenkanal. Some members of the group got here in touch with a high-voltage reside wire. Social and sentient as they’re, different elephants of the herd tried to assist these in misery solely to pay with their lives. That was the largest elephant electrocution tragedy within the state – seven elephants perished in a single go.

Four years therefore, little or no appears to have modified on the bottom. Odisha authorities might have been pumping in crores of rupees to offer protected passage to wild elephants however energy traces are one of many greatest unnatural killers of the mild giants.

Information furnished by the Forest and Environment division earlier than the State Assembly would present that between 2011-12 and 2021-22, about 935 elephants died in Odisha. A whopping 135 of these casualties have been attributable to electrocution alone. Only Assam rivals the state within the sheer quantity of elephant electrocution deaths.

Changing crop patterns, habitat loss, displacement by mining and infrastructure tasks, local weather change and rising intolerance of communities dwelling near elephant-occurring forests have wreaked havoc. Experts additionally level at a curious reality – rising elephant actions exterior the forest areas are drawing these lengthy rangers to their demise.

Data reveals that the proportion of electrocution circumstances in opposition to total elephant deaths, shockingly, has been on the rise within the State. From a median of 10 to fifteen per cent, it has jumped to almost 25 per cent within the present yr. Statistics recommend elephant deaths attributable to electrocution are always on the rise since 2019-20.  From seven in 2019-20, it grew to eight in 2020-21 and 13 in 2021-22. In 2022-23 alone, the demise toll resulting from electrocution has touched an alarming 14, surpassing figures of the earlier three years. 

At least seven elephants fell to electrocution – both unintentional or deliberate – within the state since October first week. Half of the 14 elephant electrocution deaths this monetary yr have been reported from Athamallik, Bamra, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Khurda, Satkosia and Ghumusar South wildlife division and occurred in a single month and a half.

Eight years again, alarmed by the deaths, the state authorities created a brand new scheme that aimed toward creating energy methods that present elephants a protected passage and shield them from unintentional deaths. The authorities yearly spends crores of rupees for floor clearance of {the electrical} transmission networks, insulated cabling and different rectification works to guard the pachyderms. 

Data accessed by The New Indian Express present that the Energy Department has allotted round Rs 520 crore to the distribution corporations beneath the ‘System Strengthening for Elephant Corridor and Movement Areas’ scheme in since 2013-14. 

Last yr, the division offered round one other 445 crores to extend the bottom clearance {of electrical} networks and change naked conductors in elephant corridors and their motion areas. 
All this funding however, the work progress has remained sluggish. Out of the three,814 km of transmission traces recognized in susceptible stretches of elephant motion areas, cabling has been accomplished over lower than 2,500 km. 

Similarly, of 13,606 factors recognized for rectification of sagging factors, tilted poles and fixing of spikes and interposing poles, work has been accomplished in somewhat over 3,500 factors. Forest officers level out the variety of pending works could possibly be much more if one appears to be like into particulars of the progress of power infrastructure strengthening on the divisional degree. 

In Keonjhar, as an illustration, sources mentioned, 476 km of cabling is but to be finished for 11 KV and 33 KV networks. This district, a hub of mining actions, stays a graveyard for the jumbos. The electrical energy infrastructure hazard evaluation of the Keonjhar territorial division, house to numerous elephants, reveals sagging must be decreased at 1,850 interposing poles and fencing is required for round 646 transformers on a precedence foundation. Besides, spiking must be carried out in 3,430 electrical energy poles in elephant motion areas of the division. 

During a coordination assembly of the forest, power departments and discom officers in May, officers of the Keonjhar division expressed robust disappointment over poor rectification work. “There was no progress in the cabling of lines and fencing of open transformers. Besides, the tripping data was also ‘not being shared’ by the energy officials despite a number of review meetings under the chairmanship of the collector,” mentioned an insider. 

The discoms – owned by Tata Power – have their very own sorry tales. Tata Power Northern Odisha Distribution Limited (TPNODL) officers, on circumstances of anonymity, attributed the delay to pending court docket circumstances, value escalation of supplies and delay within the finalisation of the tender course of. Similarly, TP Western Odisha Distribution Limited (TPWODL) officers level out that getting the fitting contractor for correct implementation of the undertaking is a giant fear. 

While discom officers say unintentional electrocution has decreased in comparison with deliberate electrocution carried out by poachers in recent times, wildlife specialists say coordination of the power division, distribution corporations and native administration is a should for the forest division to stop electrocution even whether it is deliberate. 

In the final 5 years, a minimum of 26 elephants have fallen to unintentional electrocution which refers back to the huge animals coming in touch with energy traces. Another 40 walked into reside wire traps arrange by villagers – both to stop crop-raiding animals or for bush meat looking. Either means, elephants have paid for his or her lives.

“Without initiatives of district administrations, discoms, as well as police, deliberate electrocution, cannot be contained,” says honorary wildlife warden for Angul Aditya Chandra Panda who factors out that deliberate electrocution for poaching has reached a really disturbing proportion. 

“Though it is primarily intended for bush meat hunting, it caused a significant number of wildlife casualties including the death of elephants and leopards. The forest department and provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act are still not equipped to contain it fully. This needs to be addressed at the earliest,” Panda mentioned. Electrocution demise of untamed animals should be handled as a regulation and order situation as an alternative of a mere wildlife crime, he says. 

The Forest division maintains that joint forest patrolling involving linemen and different area employees of discoms has been elevated to minimise electrocution incidents. The drive was launched in wildlife and territorial divisions the place elephants are susceptible to electrocution deaths. A listing of villages the place poaching by deliberate hooking of electrical transmission traces has been offered to the power division to take efficient measures to keep away from deliberate electrocution mentioned. 

RCCF Angul and Satkosia area director M Yogajayanand mentioned forest divisions within the circle marked ranges and beats into completely different susceptible zones. “Joint patrolling by forest and electrical staff is carried out twice a day in these zones that have been found to be more vulnerable,” he mentioned.

Keonjhar DFO Dhamdhere Dhanraj Hanumant mentioned the joint patrolling is held day-after-day, whereas through the inspection, the groups preserve a report of particulars of susceptible electrical infrastructure, the place energy traces are dangling or transformers don’t have barricades and there may be the opportunity of hooking and so forth.

While PCCF Wildlife SK Popli was not out there for feedback, a senior official from Wildlife Wing reiterated that elevated coordination between the power division and discoms can stop decelerate electrocution of untamed animals. 

Apart from sending employees for joint patrolling and inspection of susceptible pockets, the power division should bookcases in opposition to individuals arrested in electrocution circumstances beneath Electricity Act. “We have already requested the department as well as discoms to initiate measures in this regard,” he mentioned. Energy secretary Nikunja Bihari Dhal couldn’t be reached for his remark on this matter.