Stop the Elephant Massacre in Odisha and Save Asian Elephants

  • by: Sangita Iyer
  • recipient: The Chief Minister of Odisha; Ministry of Forest & Environment; Ministry of Energy

To:

The Hon'ble Chief Minister of Odisha; Hon'ble Minister of Energy; Hon'ble Minister of Forest & Environment:

The recent spate of elephant deaths caused by electrocution is deeply disturbing and ravaging! Within a short 12-hour span three elephants were killed on December 1, 2020 – two by electrocution, one baby elephant died after falling into a well. With no forest officials to monitor the illegal high-voltage electrical fencing, farmers are taking matters in their own hands to protect their crops. This menace has to end NOW!!

The Ongoing Scourge:
Of the 128 elephant deaths in Odisha caused by electrocution, 45 were killed by sagging wires, and 83 by live wire (poaching, high-voltage illegal fences, 17 defunct solar fencing). Human error, caused by sheer negligence, apathy and complacency are the reasons for these avoidable deaths. The electricity and forest departments neglected to take proactive measures.

Odisha has become a mass grave for elephants, evidenced in the murder of seven elephants, who were electrocuted in October 2018 in the notorious Dhenkanal district. Nothing has changed over the years, despite the fact that the forest officials claim that they are taking actions. Clearly, either their actions are not working, or the officials are simply trying to silence those speaking out for the elephants. Regardless, the world watches in utter disgust and embarrassment at the senseless elephant deaths unfolding in that state.

There are stringent Indian laws governing the electricity and power distribution companies. But what good are these regulations if they are not enforced? The laws spell out the following rules:

Rule 61A: Earth leakage protective device (ELPD)
The energy supply to every electrical installation other than low voltage installation below 5 KW and those low-voltage installations that do not attract provisions of Section 30 of the Indian Electricity Act, 1910, should be controlled by an ELDP which will disconnect the power supply instantly after it detects the leakage of current or earth fault

The above rule doesn't apply to overhead supply lines with protective devices that are effectively bonded to the neutral connection of supply transformers and conform to Rule 91 of Indian Electricity Rules, 1956.

Rule 91: Safety and protective devices
1) Every overhead line, (not suspended from a dead bearer wire and not covered with insulating material and not being a trolley-wire) erected over any part of street or other public place or in any factory or mine or on any consumers' premises shall be protected with a device approved by the Inspector for rendering the line electrically harmless in case it breaks.
2) An Inspector may by notice in writing require the owner of any such overhead line wherever it may be erected to protect it in the manner specified in sub-rule (l).

Furthermore, in December 2010, a four-member committee headed by Mr. A.K. Biswal (DCF), submitted several recommendations to the Odisha's Ministry of Environment and Forest to prevent electrocutions. Unfortunately, none of those measures had been enforced by Odisha's Energy Department, allowing the distribution companies to get away with murder, as they neglect to implement the mitigation measures.

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY we demand that the power distribution companies implement the following:

1) All electricity safety recommendations of MoEF's Committee report, 2010.
2) Lift sagging power lines and reinforce foundations of electric poles in elephant habitat.
3) Insulate overhead wires across all elephant habitats and elephant movement zones.
4) Fit safety devices such as Circuit Breakers and ELCBs at live wire poaching hotspots.
5) Conduct Intensive patrolling to stop live wire poaching traps and illegal electric fencing.
6) Lift and correct sagging lines.
7) Fence off or build a wall around the Transformer poles/substations so poachers are unable to access the open wires that connect the transformer terminal and the AB switches or HG fuses.

It is critical that the AB switch pole be sealed off from public access, as the last case in Dhenkanal occurred despite the fact that the 11 kV power lines were insulated, as poachers accessed the power supply from the AB switch pole.

This petition will be mailed to the Odisha Forest Department's Principal Secretary, Dr. Mona Sharma, Chief Wildlife Warden and Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Dr. Upadhyaya, Head of Forest Forest Dr. Sandeep Tripathi; Principal Secretary of Energy, Mr. Nikunja Bihari Dhal, IAS  

Update #13 years ago
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Even as we celebrate with our family and friends, let's not forget that elephants of Odisha are still in dire straits. If you get a break a during the holidays, would you mind sharing with your family and friends PLEASE and help us cross over 5000 so we can share this letter with the energy ministry? I'd be immensely grateful to you! Thank you so much and stay safe, while having a wonderful time!



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