Four elephant electrocution deaths in a month in Karnataka a cause for concern

Wildlife

Wildlife conservationists urge sealing of forest borders and stopping illegal power connections drawn by farmers to avert such elephant deaths.

Girisha

File photo

Electrocution continues to claim lives of elephants that stray from forests areas under the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) and Mangalore Electricity Supply Company (MESCOM) limits. Worried wildlife conservationists urge sealing of forest borders and proper vigilance to detect illegal power connections drawn by farmers to their fields, among other measures, to bring down such elephant deaths. In the last one month, four elephants have met tragic deaths owing to electrocution – one jumbo was electrocuted in Chikkamagaluru’s Kadur range, another near Subramanya range in Dakshina Kannada (both coming under MESCOM) while the other two electrocution cases happened in Chamarajanagar district, falling under CESC. An elephant carcass found in a field in Hanur of Chamarajnagar Kadur Range Forest Officer Thanuj Kumar arrested a farmer over the electrocution death of the elephant in his jurisdiction. The farmer is accused of drawing power illegally to his farm. As a wildlife conservationist pointed out, on condition of anonymity, such illegal power connections by farmers are rampant in all villages surrounding forests areas. Though elephants dying from electrocution in private fields are more, in some cases, like the tusker that died in Subramanya range, the electrocution happened inside a reserve forest. The elephant was electrocuted when it tried to feast on the fruits and bark of a tree near where a power line passes. One of the worst mass electrocution deaths was reported in Madikeri when four elephants of a family were electrocuted after they stepped on a snapped live wire in a coffee plantation in Virajpet’s Yedoor in June 2017. Subsequently, two other elephants were electrocuted in Madikeri the same year. Figures of electrocution deaths under MESCOM are not available immediately but details gathered on electrocution deaths under CESC since 2008 reveal that more than 100 elephants have met tragic deaths. The districts falling under CESC have the healthiest elephant populations in the state. They consist of vast tracts of forests stretching from Chamarajanagar to Madikeri via Mysuru and wildlife areas including Bandipur, Nagarahole, BR Hills, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary. Vinod Krishnan, a research affiliate attached to the NGO Nature Conservation Foundation, said that routine checks by electricity supply companies are a must. The public can also bring to the notice of officials any low-hanging wires to avert accidents in heavy rainfall areas like Madikeri, Sakleshpur and others. Vinod observed that electrocution deaths have been widespread across elephant ranges, followed by deaths in train accidents. Elephant researcher Surendra Varma from Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Science urged forest borders to be sealed and secured with barricades. He added that elephant proof trenches among other steps can prevent elephants straying from forest areas and getting exposed to dangers such as electrocution. To seal the forest boundaries, he urged the state government to release adequate funds. Among the steps initiated to avert electrocution deaths, Subramanya RFO Raghavendra said they have asked MESCOM officials to install aerial bunched cables and underground cables, and take the power lines out of the forest boundaries. CESC officials stated they have taken up installation of intermediary electric poles in places where lines are found sagging and works have been initiated in places such as Madikeri, Kollegal among other places to mitigate electrocution deaths of elephants. CESC Madikeri officials said that electrocution deaths have come down in recent years and only a single case of jumbo electrocution was reported in the last two years. When contacted about action taken in power theft cases, CESC Vigilance Superintendent of Police Rashmi Pareddy said that vigilance personnel create awareness among farmers not to draw illegal power lines to their fields. They also conduct random checks and book erring persons in case of power theft. She regretted that despite awareness and action by the vigilance personnel, incidents of elephant electrocution deaths are still being reported. Girisha is a freelancer who writes on wildlife and the environment.

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