Dharmendra Pradhan Urges Centre To Address Elephant-Human Conflict In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Amid reports of elephant-human conflict in Odisha, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has written to Union Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav, seeking the Centre’s intervention and immediate action to address the issue.

“I am writing to you with deep concern about the escalating number of elephant deaths, and straining elephant-human conflict in the state of Odisha. The month of March this year has been particularly devastating, with seven elephant deaths being reported-the highest in the past three years. Sadly, most of the deaths are due to poaching, electrocution or train/ road accidents,” Dharmendra wrote.

He also mentioned about loss of 784 elephants in past one decade and added that 245 of these deaths occured in the last three years alone.

“Recently, it was also noted in the State Legislative Assembly that a total 2776 wild animals have been killed in the past 5 years (2017-18 to 2021-22) in Odisha, including 416 elephants. It is also worth mentioning that 669 people and 741 domestic animals died, and 9151 houses were damaged due to elephant attacks,” he said.

Stating that elephant conservation was of paramount importance to Odisha, Dharmendra wrote that the well-being of these creatures was essential for maintaining the health of the forests and the livelihood of local communities that rely on them.

“Considering the critical situation in Odisha, we believe that the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change’s intervention is vital. I request you to take immediate action in addressing this pressing issue to ensure the harmonious coexistence of humans and elephants in Odisha. I look forward to your prompt intervention in this matter,” he urged.