CHENNAI: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the state government on Tuesday notified Power Fences (Registration and Regulation) Rules, 2023 to protect wild animals, especially elephants, from getting electrocuted.
In the last 10 years, around 100 elephants have died due to electrocution in the state. This year, so far, seven elephants have died. The death of three wild elephants by electrocution in Dharmapuri division this March has prompted the state to take some urgent measures. The Madras HC was also critical and pushed the state to frame rules for installing fences scientifically.
As per the newly-notified rules, it has been made mandatory to seek prior permission from jurisdictional district forest officers to install power fences including solar power fences within 5 km of the notified reserve forest areas. People who have already installed the power fences must apply for registration within the next 60 days.
Importantly, all companies in the business of installing power fences are now mandated to comply with BIS standard norms, which means the maximum energy discharge from the energizer that is used to power the fence must not exceed 5 joules. The farmer or any other user should not install the fence energiser that receives its energy from an electric supply system, but rather use a battery not exceeding 12 volts DC.
Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Department, told TNIE, “Inputs from the agricultural engineering division and electricity department were taken before arriving at technical specifications.”
In order to ensure compliance with the conditions, a joint team of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and forest department shall take up field level inspections once in a fortnight, and record details in a log book maintained. Authorities said the quality of erected power fences shall be reviewed once in three years.
The wildlife conservationists have welcomed the state government initiative. If the notified rules are strictly implemented, the majority of electrocution deaths can be avoided. N Sadiq Ali, founder trustee, Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust, told TNIE, “Two years ago, we did a field study in Coimbatore and Nilgiris region where the menace of electrocution is recurring. What we found was baffling. Majority of solar fence energisers are in violation of BIS specification. Companies are blatantly manufacturing and selling energisers with an output of 10-20 joules, causing fatalities. The government must ensure companies supply only BIS standard energisers.”
Chief Wildlife Warden Srinivas R Reddy told TNIE, “The rules were framed in such a manner that we don’t extend our arm too much. We will strictly regulate the fences within 5 km from the forest boundary, which is a critical zone of conflict.”
As per the official data, TN lost seven elephants to electrocution this year. The data provided by Project Elephant Division of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in a reply to an RTI filed by Kolkata-based activist Sagnik Sengupta, said 82 elephants died between 2012-13 and 2021-22 in Tamil Nadu. In comparison, Assam lost 120 elephants, the highest in the country, followed by Odisha (106), Karnataka (90) and TN comes fourth in the list. Overall, India lost 630 elephants due to electrocution in the past one decade.