NGT forms team to probe jumbo deaths

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a team to probe the death of seven elephants which were electrocuted after coming in contact with a livewire near Kamalanga village in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson, Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, constituted a team comprising representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India, director of Project Elephant and Chief Wildlife Warden of Odisha.

The team will visit the site and suggest measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future, due to electrocution or other causes which can be applicable to wildlife areas in the entire country, the NGT said.

“The representative of MoEF will be the coordinator. The visit may be undertaken within two weeks from today,” the bench, also comprising Justice SP Wangdi, said in its October 30 order.

The green panel had directed the Central Electricity Supply Utility of Odisha (CESU) to deposit Rs 1 crore with the Chief Wildlife Warden of the state within a week and asked it to submit its stand in the case to the MoEF.

The tribunal said the incident ‘prima facie’ shows apathy to the wildlife by CESU as 42 elephants have died of electrocution due to sagging livewires and at least 18 were killed in Dhenkanal division since April 2010 as per a news report.

It appointed advocate Amit A Pai to assist the tribunal in the matter and posted the matter for consideration of the report December 20.

The tribunal passed the order after taking note of the news report. The article said that according to the forest department, electrocution occurred on account of negligence of CESU.

Seven elephants were electrocuted after coming in contact with a livewire near Kamalanga village October 27.

A herd of 13 jumbos was passing through the village in Sadar forest range and seven of them came in contact with the 11-KV wire.

The carcasses of the pachyderms, including a tusker and five females, were spotted in the morning by villagers who informed forest officials.

While three carcasses were lying on a road, four others were inside a canal. The incident happened apparently because of sagging electric wire, the forest officials said.

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