Orissa HC approves constitution of task force to curb elephant poaching

The HC said the committee will intervene in not just elephant poaching cases, but also other wildlife animals like tiger and pangolin trading

Published on: Aug 26, 2022, 10:38:58 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The Orissa high court on Thursday approved constitution of a joint task force comprising members of forest department, Odisha police and a wildlife activist that would recommend suitable criminal provisions to be applied on persons involved in elephant poaching.

The next hearing on this matter will be held on September 26. (File image)

Hearing a PIL filed by a Cuttack-based wildlife activist seeking amendment to the Wildlife (Protection Act), 1972 on the lines of the Wildlife (Protection) (Assam Amendment) Act 2009 to add more teeth to wildlife crime control efforts, the two-judge bench of chief justice S Muralidhar and justice RK Patnaik took note of the affidavit filed by the state DGP which suggested formation of a task force comprising police officials and wildlife experts.

The HC said the committee will intervene in not just elephant poaching cases, but also other wildlife animals like tiger and pangolin trading.

Also Read:Another elephant found dead in Odisha forest, bullet marks on its body

As forest officials were not empowered to book wildlife offenders under Indian Penal Code (IPL), the committee will suggest IPC provisions that needs to be applied on the offenders.

The HC also gave nod to the constitution of an advocate committee who will put forward their suggestions regarding prevention of elephant deaths in the state.

The next hearing on this matter will be held on September 26.

The state police will present facts and figures on elephant deaths in the next hearing.

Though the state government told the court that necessary steps will be taken in the next three months including filing of chargesheets, the bench expressed its dissatisfaction saying the actions were more remedial than preventive.

Odisha registered 14 cases of unnatural deaths of elephants in forests in the past two months making it the biggest casualty of the pachyderms in a short span in more than a decade.

Of the 14, at least six deaths are due to poaching, including that of a 40-year-old tusker whose decomposed carcass with gunshot injuries was found from a cashew orchard in the Jagannath Prasad forest range in Ghumsur North Division of Ganjam district late last month.

The HC also took note of the death of two female elephants due to electrocution on premises of OUAT campus in Keonjhar district on Thursday morning.

It directed the forest department to inform the court about circumstances under which the electrocution deaths occurred.

The two elephants, about 25-year-old, were part of a group of nine elephants roaming in Judia of the Sanaghagara forest area.

On Thursday morning, the group entered the OUAT premises and came in contact with 11kv wire which led to their death. Both were females and had given birth to two calves less than a month back.

Odisha reports one of the highest numbers of elephant deaths due to electrocution in the country.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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