Elephant dies of electrocution in Chhattisgarh, 3rd incident in 6 days

The villagers had earlier complained to power department officials that high tension lines were lying at a low height in the area but nothing was done.

An elephant died due to electrocution after coming in contact with live wire hanging low in the field in Gariaband district on Monday.

North Chhattisgarh is home to around 240 wild elephants, which roam in plains of the state. Several reports of human-elephant conflicts have surfaced in the last few years in the region. (HT file photo)

This is the third elephant death reported in the last six days in the state and eleven in the last four months.

“The incident took place in a field in Paragaon village under Dhawalpur forest range when a herd of 22 to 25 elephants was passing. In the early hours, one elephant came in contact with an 11 KV power transmission line, which was hanging at a low height above the field and died,” Arun Pandey, additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF) (wildlife) told HT.

Pandey further said that villagers had earlier complained to power department officials that high tension lines were lying at a low height in the area but nothing was done.

Earlier, on Friday night, an elephant died of electrocution after coming in contact with a live wire laid by poachers to trap wild boar in Mahasamund district.

In June, six elephants died in four districts of the state. While the carcasses of two tuskers were recovered from the Pratappur forest range in Surajpur district, another elephant was found dead in neighbouring Balrampur district.

Two elephants were electrocuted in Dharamjaigarh under Raigarh district and a calf died after getting stuck in a marshland in Dhamtari district. One elephant died in July in Jashpur district of the state.

Following the fatalities, the state forest department in July issued orders to divisional forest officer (DFO) of Dharamjaigarh in Raigarh district, where maximum elephants have been electrocuted in the last ten years, to take necessary steps to contain such incidents.

The order said the forest department should ensure that the 11 KV electric lines, which have caused the recent deaths, should be 7.5 meters above the ground-level and insulated electric wires be used in these areas.

The department has also directed the forest officers to coordinate with Chhattisgarh state power corporation to find out each and every illegal connection or live wire in these areas frequented by the elephants.

In the last decade, the state has recorded an increase in its wildlife population including elephants, whose number rose from 225 to 290, as per the state forest department.

North Chhattisgarh is home to around 240 wild elephants, which roam in plains of the state. Several reports of human-elephant conflicts have surfaced in the last few years in the region.