Orissa HC Directs Govt To Provide Alternative Power In Forest Areas To Save Elephants

Cuttack: In order to save elephants from electrocution, the Orissa High Court has directed the state government to form a joint task force to supply alternative energy in forest areas.

Hearing a writ petition filed by the government on Tuesday, a division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Gourishankar Satapathy expressed its concern over rising elephant deaths due to electrocution in the forest areas and directed to opt for alternative sources of power like solar energy to save the wild animals.

The court told the government to set up a joint task force to draw up an action plan for protection of the elephants. It will decide the suitable alternative power supply in forest areas, particularly the elephant corridors. The court set a deadline of 2 months for putting the alternative energy in place in the state.

The matter can be taken up at the meeting of the CEOs of 4 electricity distribution companies (Discoms) scheduled to be held within a week on reducing elephant deaths. The meeting to be chaired by the task force must decide implemented implementation of the action within the stipulated period, the court said.

It also directed the chairperson of the joint task force to file an affidavit in the High Court regarding the implementation of an action plan.

The High Court had accepted the government’s writ petition on May 5 and scheduled its hearing on Tuesday. Accepting the petition, the High Court had issued a stay on the order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued on April 6. The NGT had directed the government to issue a notification for construction of 14 elephant corridors in the state within a month.

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