Bhubaneswar: At least 1145 people were killed in elephant attacks in Odisha during the last ten years, the state Assembly was informed on Tuesday.
Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia gave this information while answering a question by Khurda MLA Prasanta Kumar Jagadev in the House.
The Minister said 1145 human deaths were reported in encounters with elephants in the state between 2013-14 and 2023-24.
While 41 elephants fell prey to poachers in forests in the last 10 years, 719 jumbos have died due to other reasons during the period, he said.
Replying a question by Jharsuguda MLA Tankadhar Tripathy, the Minister said that at least 55 tigers, including seven Royal Bengal Tigers (RBT), have died in different forests of the state in the last ten years. As many as 48 leopards and seven RBTs have died in different forest divisions between 2014-15 and 2023-24.
Of total fatalities, while 23 tigers were killed by poachers, 4 were electrocuted, 2 died in train accidents, 3 in road accidents, 6 died due to other reasons including drowning and infighting, 5 succumbed to illness, 5 died due to old-age related ailments, and 7 died due to unknown reason, he said.
Seven Bengal tigers died during the period, of which, 1 in Balangir forest division (2016-17), 1 in Similipal south division (2017-18), 1 in Bargarh forest division (2018-19), 1 in Satkosia wildlife (2018-19), 1 in Keojhar wildlife (2022-23) and 2 in Similipal south division (2023-24).
The Minister said that tiger census was not conducted in Odisha in 2000. According to 2002 tiger census carried out through pugmark technique method, 173 tigers were sighted in the state.
The nationwide tiger census was conducted using a camera-trapping method for the first time in 2006. The census revealed that Odisha had 45 RBTs.
As per the state-level tiger census conducted in 2024, a total of 27 RBTs were spotted in Odisha, 24 of them in Similipal Tiger Reserve, 1 in Keonjhar Wildlife Division, 1 in Paralakhemundi and 1 in Hirakud Wildlife Division.
To another question by MLA Jagdev, the Minister said that more than 26 lakh trees have been felled for projects in Odisha between 2000 and 2023.
A total of 26,75,191 trees have been cleared from forest land between 2000 and 2023 for the execution of 482 projects, he said.
Altogether 9,64,063 trees were felled for mining activities, 5,99,690 trees for roads, 4,89,423 trees for irrigation, 82,076 trees for railway lines, 1,39,439 trees for power supply, 3,00,759 trees for industries, and 99,741 trees for other purposes, the minister said.
