CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed electricity distribution companies (discoms) operating in the state to roll out a plan for replacing the electric fences wherever found with solar power fences to prevent elephant deaths due to electrocution. A division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Gourishankar Satapathy issued the direction on Tuesday while expressing dissatisfaction over steps being taken to avert elephant deaths due to electrocution. “In the considered view of the court, not enough steps have been taken to prevent deaths of elephants due to electrocution in Odisha. This is despite the comprehensive action plan (CAP) being made available to the electricity distribution companies (discoms) for nearly two months now”, the bench said.
The discoms had engaged Support for Network and Extension Help Agency (SNEHA) having experience in working on human-elephant conflict issues in Karnataka to undertake a study in two districts-Dhenkanal and Angul. The report submitted by SNEHA had suggested use of alternate 6V solar or DC fence set-up which will repel wildlife or set off an alarm instead of causing causality. Endorsing SNEHA’s suggestion, the bench said, “The court would like to be informed by the next date the exact extent of such 6V solar power/DC fences that have been erected in place of the electric fences which were earlier being used. It is absolutely essential for the discoms to immediately identify all such instances of illegal hooking of electricity transmission lines to power such electric fences illegally put up in the villages and discontinue the practice forthwith”.
The bench fixed July 19 as the next date for further consideration of the matter.The court was hearing four similar PILs filed by Balgopal Mishra (2013), Dwija Dalpati (2015), Mrinalini Padhi (2015) and Gita Rout (2022) highlighting the serious issue concerning deaths of elephants. While directing replacement of electric fences with solar ones, the bench also asked the CEOs of the four discoms to immediately convene a meeting within a week in which the chairperson of the Joint Task Force (JTF) will also participate and chalk out a time-bound plan for completing the survey of all the villages in their respective zones which have witnessed movement of wild animals, attacks by wild animals, destruction of crops and deaths of wild animals due to electrocution. Affidavits submitted in court said 18 elephants had died during the last two months and four of them due to electrocution. During the period, 20 persons also lost their lives due to attacks by elephants.