CHENNAI: In the last month, a record 13 jumbos died in the state, yet the issue failed to take centre stage in the Assembly on Thursday. The opposition benches were largely quiet, while forest minister M Mathiventhan claimed the government was taking necessary steps to prevent the unnatural death of elephants.
A string of electrocution cases and some elephant deaths due to human negligence have rocked the state, calling for drastic management measures. The Madras High Court had summoned Principal Chief Conservator of Forests-cum-Chief Wildlife Warden Srinivas R Reddy and Tangedco chairman Rajesh Lakhoni to the court on April 17 to explain the recent electrocution of four elephants in Dharmapuri district.
Against this backdrop, opposition parties, rather than holding the government accountable for wildlife loss, were seen going soft by discussing other topics during the time allocated for the environment, forests and climate change department.
Former AIADMK ministers Dindigul C Srinivasan and KC Karuppannan and PMK MLA GK Mani briefly raised the issue, but were more concerned with the property damage and human deaths caused by elephants and sought enhanced compensation.
Forest minister M Mathiventhan told the Assembly that measures like joint inspection of power lines with Tangedco officials, creation of spikes on the existing poles, rectification of low sagging overhead lines etc were taken to prevent electrocution of elephants. “A State level advisory committee has been constituted to create a framework for wildlife-friendly infrastructure in future for the first time in India,” the minister said in the policy note.
Environment Secretary Supriya Sahu told TNIE in the past few days several rounds of talks were held with Tangedco for cracking down on illegal electrical fences in and around the forest areas. It was decided to involve the revenue department as well since electrocution deaths are reported even 50km away from the forest boundary.
Sahu said the draft on Standardise Solar Fencing Rules was prepared and circulated for comments from the departments concerned. “As a long-term measure, we are planning to insulate the power lines. A proposal in consultation with the State planning commission was submitted under Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives. It will be first done in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve,” she said.
Electricity minister V Senthil Balaji said 1,509 km of HT and 1,255 km of LT bare overhead lines and 19.9 km insulated conductors exist in forest areas in Tamil Nadu. The above overhead electric lines were laid in the permitted routes of the forest department and have been in existence for so many years.
A high-level meeting was conducted at the government level, to save wild animals, especially elephants, from electrocution. Accordingly, a 10-point Action Plan was formed by Tangedco to save elephants from electrocution and it has been planned to complete the works in one year.
“The action plan includes identification of elephant path areas, raising/heightening of the existing poles at identified locations, converting bare overhead conductors into insulated overhead conductors, the establishment of distribution transformer management system to automatically trip the LT lines at the time of snapping etc,” the minister said in the policy note.
However, wildlife activists allege the government was slow and most of the preventive measures that it is talking about ought to have been implemented years back. “Why is the government taking ages to frame simple guidelines making BIS-compliant solar fence energisers mandatory? Let Madras HC pull the government during the April 17 hearing,” an activist said, adding that the National Board for Wildlife in 2019 directed all discoms to use ABC (aerial bunched cables) or underground cable in protected areas.
In the pipeline
A state level advisory committee has been constituted to create a framework for wildlife-friendly infrastructure in future for the first time in India - M Mathiventhan, Forest minister
A 10-point action plan was formed by Tangedco to save elephants from electrocution and it has been planned to complete the works in one year - V Senthil Balaji, Electricity minister
We are planning to insulate the power lines. A proposal in consultation with the state planning commission was submitted under Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives. It will be first done in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve - Supriya Sahu, Environment Secretary
Why is the government taking ages to frame simple guidelines making BIS-compliant solar fence energisers mandatory? Let Madras HC pull the govt during the April 17 hearing - Activist
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