CUTTACK: An elephant has reportedly died of electrocution near Ranibania reserve forest in Athagarh. The carcass of the tusker, aged 20-30 years, was found near Kulailo crusher field around 100 metre away from the reserve forest on Thursday morning.
Sources said its trunk was found entangled in an electric wire with some broken wires and a bent electric pole lying near the spot indicating the jumbo likely died of electrocution.
Locals, meanwhile, blamed the forest as well as TPCODL staff for the elephant’s death. “Many 33 KV live wires through which power is supplied to the crusher unit, have been hanging at a height of just 10 ft from the pole covered with creepers which pose serious risk for both animals and local residents. We had informed the forest staff about the movement of elephants in our locality and asked them to get the wires removed but to no avail,” they said.
On getting information, forest and TPCODL officials reached the spot and began investigation. Though Athagarh divisional forest officer (DFO) JD Pati confirmed it as a case of electrocution, he said the wire had been lying dead with no power supply since the last over 12 years.
“The tusker might have got entangled in the dead electric wires as they were covered with creepers. During its struggle to break free, it might have broken the insulators following which high power current was discharged from the 33 KV line resulting in the tusker’s death,” said Pati.
Terming it as a rare case of electrocution, the DFO said steps would be taken to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future. Unconvinced, locals questioned why were the dead wires not removed even after 12 years of disconnection of power supply to the crusher unit.
Meanwhile, the tusks of the elephant have been preserved and the carcass buried after postmortem.