By Arun Kumar Das
BHUBANESWAR, Aug 12 (NVI) As the world celebrates Elephant Day today, Odisha represents a sorry state as the population of this animal is reducing due to poaching, electrocution and other extraneous reasons.
The state, once known for its magnificent elephants, has virtually become a graveyard for these animals. Electrocution, train hits and poaching deaths are among the top causes for unnatural deaths.
In the last financial year 2025-26, Odisha recorded 84 elephant deaths. Of these, 14 were killed by electrocution, all of which were avoidable.
The death figure of 84 was slightly down from the previous year’s 94 but remains high.
Compared to Karnataka, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the elephant death rate in Odisha is much higher revealing breakdown of protection.
Electrocution deaths since 16 years :
In 2010, the Ministry of Environment and Forest had set up an enquiry committee to investigate electrocution deaths of elephants and recommend steps for prevention.
Most of the recommendations are yet to be implemented since the last 15 years while elephants continued to be slaughtered .
Despite allocation of more than Rs 700 crores funds by the state government for strengthening of power lines, patrolling, insulation of naked overhead 11kv wires in forest areas for barricading of transformers, electrocution death rates have not declined.
From April 2010 to March 2026 (16 years) the state has lost 227 elephants to electrocution, averaging nearly 14 elephants killed in a year.
In Dhenkanal 5 elephants were electrocuted in a horrific case in September,2017 near Meramundali (largest case in India) when a sagging 11kv wire touched a passing herd.
Concealment and cover up and false claim of Anthrax :
Wildlife Society of Odisha (WSO) has noted that 17 concealment cases which have been exposed by the media have been reported since October, 2012 till March 2025 of which the highest reported in 2021-22 (3) and 2022-23 (9). 12 bodies were exhumed – 7 of them in Athagarh Forest division, 3 in Sambalpur Forest Division, 1 each in Boudh Forest Division & Satkosia Wildlife Division.
Athagarh continues to be a hotspot for elephant poaching and the local staff regularly cover up such deaths by burying or burning the carcasses without recording the offence.
Claiming Anthrax as the cause eliminated the need to carry out a proper post-mortem and investigation for the true cause of death and was an excuse to cover up poaching cases.
An RTI response from Animal Disease Research Institute (ADRI), Phulnakhara in 2020 revealed that of the 20 samples received by them mostly from Similipal, Hadgarh and Kuldiha sanctuaries between August, 2017 and December, 2019, only 2 were found to be Anthrax positive which meant 90 percent of the suspected Anthrax cases were false.
Despite demand by WSO to re-open the 90 per cent cases not proved to be Anthrax the department preferred to cover them. Therefore at least 18 cases out of the 503 cases shown as “natural, infighting, disease deaths” have been wrongly recorded.
Lack of action
Not a single power department official was convicted under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 despite the death of more than 227 elephants by electrocution in the last 15 years due to utter negligence and violation of Safety rules.
Trains have killed at least 47 elephants in 16 years. Not a single railway officer or train driver who failed to implement the maximum speed limits in elephant crossing zones has been convicted under wildlife laws. There is no daily monitoring of train speed at vulnerable crossing zones by FD.
No action against senior officers for dereliction of duties- only forest guard or forester is suspended for a few months. Not a single officer or senior officer has been dismissed.
Though a circular by the government issued in 2012 mandates enquiry and fixing of responsibility on Range Officer/DFO in case of every unnatural elephant death, no such enquiry is ever conducted.
The field patrols have failed despite thousands of elephant squads and Gaja Saathi who are supposed to check and seize illegal hooking wire traps and electrified steel wire fences.
Over the last 14 years, at least 17 cases of cover ups of elephant deaths were uncovered by Crime Branch/STF Not a single forest official responsible for such shocking cover ups has been dismissed from service. (NVI)
