Odisha’s Biggest Elephant Tragedy: Seven Jumbos Electrocuted To Death By Railway Power Line

Odisha on Friday night witnessed the biggest casualty of elephants in a single incident with as many as seven jumbos getting killed after coming in contact with a sagging railway power line in Dhenkanal district. The tragic incident happened near the Kamalanga village under Dhenkanal Sadar forest range.

According to local media, a herd of 13 elephants were spotted near the village a few days ago. Villagers had informed the forest officials who took no action, leading to the tragedy. The remaining six elephants of the herd escaped the mishap. Carcasses of the jumbos were found near a village nullah on Saturday morning.

The low-hanging live 11KV wires were laid by the Railways department for construction of railway tracks. Though the height of the wire should be at 17-feet, it was laid at a height of only 8-feet.

Depletion of forest areas and unavailability of food and water often force the jumbos to stray into human habitation in the region.

Wildlife activist and the secretary of the Odisha Wildlife Society Dr Biswajit Mohanty said the incident is “outrageous”.

 “We had identified the spots where high voltage power lines are sagging and could endanger the lives of elephants and had informed the Energy Department. But, they took no action. The height of the wire should have been at 5.5 metres, but it was laid at a height of only 2 metres,” he told Outlook. Mohanty also demanded the arrest of the Managing Director of the Central Electricity Supply Utility of Odisha (CESU) for gross negligence in this regard.

The biggest elephant tragedy in the state earlier was reported in December 2012 when six elephants were killed after hit by a speeding express train in Ganjam district. In April this year, four elephants were hit by a speeding train in Jharsuguda district.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) (Wildlife) Sandeep Tripathy also blamed the failure of CESU. In a press release issued on Saturday, he said; “In the instant case, the DFO, Dhenkanal had informed to EE (Executive Engineer), CESU vide his Letter No. 10139 dtd. 22.11.2017 to rectify the sagging transmission line of 11 KV from Kamalanga to Kaliataila in Meramundali section of Dhenkanal range. The DFO, Dhenkanal had also submitted the proposal for cabling of transmission lines in Kamalanga area.”

“Due to non-rectification of sagging lines and non-cabling of transmission lines, the accident has occurred claiming the lives of seven elephants in Meramundali section of Dhenkanal range of Dhenkanal division,” the release added. 

Forest and Environment minister Bijayshree Routray echoed the views of the PCCF (Wildlife), saying; “Since 2013, we have been regularly holding meetings with Energy department officials to ensure that the power supply infrastructure in elephant habitat areas are strengthened. We have also placed funds at the disposal of CESU for raising the height of the power lines and straightening of electric poles. Despite repeated reminders, there has been no action. We will certainly ask for action against those responsible for the negligence leading to the death of the seven elephants.”

The secretary of the Energy department, under which CESU operates, Hemant Sharma said a three-member inquiry team has been sent to the spot. “Action will be taken based on the inquiry report,” he said.  Sharma said preliminary reports suggested that there was no regular consumer supply line in the area; only a temporary feeder was provided to a Railway construction site.

Sharma denied the allegation that lack of coordination between the Energy and Forest departments had led to large scale elephant deaths in the state.