Dhinesh Kallungal By

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Forest Department, in its notification, said it should be ensured the elephant is not provoked or put to work during musth period and musth is not suppressed. The history of musth will be tracked and sufficient care or rest during the forthcoming musth period will be ensured. In cases of violations, instructions will be issued to the owner. In case of repeated violations, the option of seizing the elephant and confiscating it, as ordered by the Supreme Court in 2015, will be exercised.

The notification said the district committee should meet at least twice in a year, first after the festival season to take stock of the status of the implementation of the rules and improvement needed, and the second before the onset of the season. All the violations should be brought to the committee’s notice.

Sangita Iyer, a Canada-based Keralite and producer of multiple award-winning and UN- nominated documentary Gods in Shackles, which highlighted the plight of Kerala’s temple elephants, welcomed the move.

“It’s indeed a monumental step forward by Kerala’s chief wildlife warden to acknowledge there’re welfare issues, and that the regulations are being categorically violated. To assert the Supreme Court’s order to confiscate elephants which are being ill-treated regularly is truly heartrending,” said Iyer.

The court directed those using elephants for festival purposes should register themselves with the district-level committees. They should mention how many elephants will be used in the festival and the state government has the obligation to ensure such registration. In case any kind of cruelty, apart from criminal prosecution, they shall face severe consequences which may include confiscation of the elephant.

As per the rule/guidelines for transporting and using the elephants for festivals, at least four levels of checking should be done. At first, the festival organiser should get registered with the district committee. Second, the elephant should be transported only in a vehicle that is registered with the assistant conservator of forests/district forest officer for the purpose. Third, there should be valid fitness certificate issued by a qualified vet. Fourth, the movement should be marked in the specified register.