Dhenkanal: Seven wild elephants were electrocuted after coming in contact with a live wire on the outskirts of Kamalanga village under Sadar Forest Range in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district late on Friday.
The incident came to light after the villagers found the carcass of seven elephants lying in the paddy field and informed the forest officials.
Talking to mediapersons, the villagers said that a herd of 13 wild elephants had entered human habitation last night. While passing through the village, seven of them came in contact with a live wire pulled at a height of about eight feet above the ground and died instantly on the spot. The six other elephants ran away from the area.
According to reports, the Railway authorities had assigned a company for construction of a railway over-bridge in the area. However, the company violating the guidelines of the Forest department had pulled the electric wire at a height of 8 feet above the ground.
Talking to the media, former PCCF Bijay Ketan Patnaik said according to the Government of India guidelines, the 11 KV electric wire must be pulled at a height of 17-18 feet above the ground.
“The Forest officials should be held responsible for the mishap if they have not directed the Railway authorities and the company concerned, which is constructing an over-bridge in the area, to adhere to the guidelines. But the forest officials have done, then action should be taken against Railway authorities and the company concerned,” he added.
He further said that there were about 160 wild elephants in the Athagarh and Dhenkanal Sadar Forest Ranges, who usually pass through the corridor where the mishap has taken place. Every day, there is a movement of at least five to six herds of elephants with about 15-16 elephants in each herd through this corridor. “Considering this, the Forest officials should constantly monitor their movement in these areas. Going by the statement of the villagers that the company has pulled the live wire on the outskirts of their village since last two weeks, it seems that the Forest officials were not aware of this,” he pointed out.
Asked about the incident, Dhenkanal DFO Sudarsan Patra said that the Forest department had told the Energy department to direct the construction company to pull the electric wire to a height of 17-18 feet. But they have not taken any step in this regard.
It may be mentioned that a total of 175 wild elephants have died of electrocution in Odisha in the last 18 years.
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