Bhubaneswar: Expressing anguish over killing of three elephants by electrocution in Sambalpur, the State Government has suspended three field level officials and recommended the government to take action against two senior department officers.
Three wild elephants including a calf were killed due to electrocution in the forest near Buramal in Sambalpur’s Naktideul forest range on Sunday.
The Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change has intensified the probe into the incident after Chief Minister Mohan Majhi expressed concern over the death of the wild jumbos.
Meanwhile, three of the four accused involved in the incident have been arrested and another is on the run. The Forest Department is trying to nab the fourth accused with the help of the police.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Rairakhol division, Aurobinda Mohanty said that two female adult elephants and a calf died in the incident that took place on Sunday night.
From prima facie, it seems that the elephants came in contact with a live power line laid by poachers to trap wild boars to protect crops, he said.
Earlier, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Wildlife, Susant Nanda termed the incident as ‘unfortunate’ and said, “There was negligence on the part of the patrolling team and field officials of the area.”
The office of Chief Wildlife Warden has asked all Regional Chief Conservators of Forests (RCCFs) to write to DISCOM counterparts to provide the steps taken on the safety practices recommended for installation of earth leakage circuit breakers.
“If these have not been installed in elephant movement areas, then electricity should be disconnected in those areas forthwith otherwise for any case of electrocution death of wild animals, the DISCOMs will be held responsible,” read a circular issued by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife).