Chhattisgarh: Elephant electrocuted in Jashpur, eighth death in two months
RAIPUR: After seven elephant deaths reported last months in Chhattisgarh, another tusker was found dead due to electrocution in Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh on Friday. A farmer had laid an electric wire around the fence on his house-cum-fields to prevent intrusion of animals, when an elephant, separated from its herd, tried to cross the fence and came in contact with live wire.
The farm owner Ranjeet Kispotta was arrested after an FIR was lodged against him for laying electric wire.
This is the eighth death recorded in the span of two months due to varied reasons.
Talking to TOI, Arun Kumar Pandey, additional principal chief conservator of forest said, "I have personally visited the site and checked the carcass of jumbo that died of electrocution. The incident took place in Jhilliberna village of Tapkara block where people live in small clusters, much in distance with each other. Ranjeet's house and small field is located on half acre of land and he had attempted to safeguard the premises by fencing it with barbed wire."
During investigation it was found that Ranjeet's house has been ransacked and damaged 2-3 times since 2013, by the tuskers as the pachyderm often frequent in the region.
This prompted Ranjeet to lay barbed wire, APCCF Pandey said, adding that as there is a jackfruit tree on the premises, the elephant on Thursday night may have tried to venture in by crossing barbed wire and came in contact with the current. It died of electrocution as these wires often have current flowing upto 240 volt, much enough to kill a giant, Pandey said.
"When our team spoke to villagers, they expressed distress over the elephant conflict issue saying that they were bound to lay electric wire for their own safety. Forest department has decided to organize a training programme in collaboration with district administration to encourage usage of battery-operated instrument-much like solar fencing that doesn't have current pulsating continuously. The current through such equipment will be limited to 15 volt that may jerk an animal on coming in contact but will not kill it, moreover, the flow of current will be on and off and not continuous," APCCF Pandey elaborated.
The training for farmers will be conducted in about a week.
Chhattisgarh has witnessed back to back six deaths of elephants in the month of June and one in July, in forests of Surajpur, Balrampur, Raigarh, Dhamtari and Korba districts . Carcasses of two elephants were found in Pratappur forest range of Surajpur district and another on the very next day in neighbouring Balrampur district. Two more tuskers were found dead in Dharamjaigarh in Raigarh while a calf died after getting stuck in marshland in Dhamtari. Another one recently died in Korba after undergoing treatment for about 20 days, due to illness.
Following the series of deaths of elephants either due to toxicity or electrocution, about nine forest officers were then shifted from their posts including Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (wildlife) and divisional forest officers of Dharamjaigarh and Balrampur.
A team from the Centre visited the locations for inspection.
Meanwhile, opposition BJP has raised concerns over continuous deaths of pachyderms and leader of opposition Dharamlal Kaushik expressed doubt if elephants were being murdered?
"Doesn't it seem like murders of elephants, is there a gang active in forests for trafficking of tuskers? Among the eight dead, there were alleged cases of poisoning and there is possibility that many other elephants would have died at unknown places. The incidents call for thorough investigation while the forest department is merely doing formality by transferring the officers. No substantial step has been taken to prevent the incidents. the issue calls for attention and proper action," Kaushik demanded.
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