CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Thursday posted the PILs highlighting the serious issue concerning deaths of elephants on account of illegal poaching for further consideration to January 18, after the state government filed an affidavit indicating the interventions for habitat improvement along with other preventive measures.
The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice MS Raman was hearing the three PILs separately filed by Gita Rout (2022), Mrinalini Padhi (2015) and Balgopal Mishra (2013).In the affidavit chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) and chairman JTF Manoj Nair said the interventions for elephant habitat improvement included creation of 26 water bodies, renovation of 44 water harvesting structures, meadow development over 200 hectares and plantation of one lakh bamboo seed balls.Also, to prevent electrocution of elephants and other wild animals, bare conductors in elephant movement areas to the extent of 2,354 km have already been insulated while in another 4,444 km bare conductors and 31,000 electrical points have been identified.
On December 13, the HC had asked Nair to give detailed status of deployment of ‘Gaja Sathis’ (friend of elephants) in man-elephant conflict zones and villages surrounding elephant corridors to get information as part of the preventive steps.
In his affidavit, Nair said engagement of ‘Gaja Sathis’ under the Vana Suraksha Gaja Rakshya Scheme has been scaled up in the current year for tracking elephant movement. This year, 5,437 volunteers had been engaged as ‘Gaja Sathis’ in 1,177 villages close to elephant corridors.
The Vana Suraksha Gaja Rakshya Scheme had been rolled out to encourage public community participation with 90 per cent state government funding, the affidavit said.Steps are also being taken to declare the Similipal-Kuldiha-Hatgarh traditional elephant corridor as a conservation reserve under section 38 of Wildlife (Protection) Act, Naik has stated in the affidavit.
