Stressing upon the need to stop encroachments along the elephant corridor, the High Court, on Thursday, called for steps to stop incidents of elephants entering human habitats and repeated recurrences in the loss of both human and animal lives.
Hearing a suo motu public interest litigation on man-elephant conflicts, the division bench, comprising Chief Justice D H Waghela and Justice B V Nagarathna, which took serious exception to recent incidents in Kolar and Bangalore Rural, where four persons were trampled by wild elephants, observed that humans, by encroaching upon the elephant corridor, have forced the animals to enter human habitats leading to such conflicts. Stating that both animal and human lives are precious and merely paying compensation of Rs 5-6 lakh would not suffice, the bench, exhorted the need to put in place strict measures to save both animal and human lives.
Advocate M R Naik, amicus curiae, submitted that there have been 120 elephant deaths in a year and elephants were entering human habitat endangering lives.
Pointing out likewise there have been instances of humans entering elephant habitat, he said, there was severe shortage of forest officers to man the 3,000 acre of forest range area in the State. He further submitted that 1,000 km of high-tension and low-tension electric wire have fenced the forest range and while National Wildlife Board norms on the height of electric fence stipulated 30 ft, Bescom maintained it at 20 ft. The bench then directed the amicus curiae to call on all parties and fix the height at which these wires were to be maintained.
32 jumbos shot dead in four years
Ninety-five elephants were killed due to various reasons in the southern range from 2008 to 2012 according to a submission made by the government counsel to High Court. The report, from Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), states that 32 elephants were killed by opening fire from 2008 to 2012. Nearly 53 elephants were killed due to illegal electric fencing of cultivated lands and seven killed accidentally coming into contact with live wires and three due to other reasons. These deaths occurred in Mysore, Mandya, Hassan, Kodagu and Chamarajanagar forest ranges.
The counsel also submitted that there are 79 case of unnatural death of elephants due to electrocution from 2008 to 2013. The PCCF report says that after lodging police complaint and booking the culprits under Wildlife (Protection) Act and Indian Electricity Act, six cases have ended in conviction, 14 dismissed, 34 cases in trial courts and 25 cases under investigation.