One More Elephant Electrocuted In Dhenkanal

Dhenkanal: Three months after seven elephants were killed after coming in contact with a sagging electric wire in Dhenkanal, a tusker was found dead in Dudurkot forest under Hindol range in the district on Wednesday.

The locals spotted the carcass and informed forest department officials.

While locals suspect that the elephant died after stepping on live wire laid by poachers to trap wild boar, the officials said the exact cause behind the death would be known after the postmortem.

In October last year, seven wild elephants were electrocuted after coming in contact with a live wire on the outskirts of Kamalanga village under Sadar Forest Range in Dhenkanal district.

This had led to allegation and counter-allegation between the Forest Department and Energy Department amid much outcry at state and national level, following which Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ordered a Crime Branch probe into the incident.

On November 13, a tusker was killed after coming in contact with an 11 KV live wire in a field under Handapa Range of Angul district.

According to sources, since 2000, Odisha has lost a total of 179 elephants to electrocution. Between 2000 and 2010, there were 77 electrocution deaths, mostly due to sagging power lines averaging less than eight elephants in a year.

From April 1, 2010, to October 27, 2018, the state had lost 102 elephants to electrocution, averaging about 12 elephants a year.