SUDARSAN MAHARA N A By

Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha forests continue to be a graveyard for elephants as the State now has acquired the dubious distinction of recording the highest number of unnatural jumbo deaths. Between April 2018 and February 11 2019, as many as 77 elephants have died in Odisha. Unnatural deaths comprise train mishaps, electrocution, poaching and poisoning. The total number of elephant deaths stands at 80, the highest in last three years.

According to facts presented before the Parliament by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr Mahesh Sharma, by end of December 2018, 75 elephants had died of unnatural causes. Majority of the elephant mortalities have been reported in Odisha and the bizarre pattern has remained unchanged over the years. In 2017-18, as many as 105 unnatural elephant deaths were registered in the country and 74 were from the eastern State alone.

In 2016-17, the country-wide unnatural death number stood at 89 whereas in Odisha, it was 71. A year before, out of 104 such deaths, 74 were recorded in the State. This year, Wildlife Wing of Odisha Government records say two elephants were poached while 13 died of accidental electrocution and nine fell to deliberate attempts of electrocution.

Train accidents accounted for seven deaths while other accidents such as infighting, stampede, falling in well and ditches and lightning claimed 15 more jumbo lives. Diseases, including anthrax which is reported mostly around Similipal Tiger Reserve, caused 26 deaths. Wildlife Wing has no clue about reasons behind deaths of five elephants in Baripada, Bonai, Deogarh, Ghumsur and Rourkela forest divisions.

Among the forest divisions, Dhenkanal tops the list with 16 deaths, all unnatural. Ten deaths were by train mishaps. Besides, Athagarh forest division reported nine deaths followed by six in Jharsuguda. With large-scale destruction of habitats caused by linear infrastructure projects, man-elephant conflict continued to be grim in the State. By end of December 2018, as many as 45 persons were killed by elephants. During 2017-18, the number was 105. With 86 human deaths, Assam was at the top while neighbouring West Bengal reported 45 human casualties caused by the jumbos.

The serious conflict situation also resulted in the State Government shelling out huge sums in compensation to the kin of victims. During 2018-19, the total compensation amount is set to cross Rs 3 crore. Odisha pays `4 lakh as ex gratia per each human death besides separate compensation for crop and house damage.