Chhattisgarh HC seeks official response on electrocution of elephants, other animals

Bilaspur, Nov 6 (PTI) The Chhattisgarh High Court has taken up a suo moto Public Interest Litigation over the deaths of three elephants due to electrocution in Raigarh district.

It also sought replies from the energy department as well as the state power distribution firm about the deaths of wild animals due to electrocution.

A division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru on Monday took cognizance of two newspaper reports, initiating a PIL.

"It has been published in the newspapers that three female elephants, including a calf, were electrocuted in Chuhkimar forest in Raigarh forest division on October 25 night when they came in contact with an 11KV live wire hanging loose barely 3-4 meters above the ground. This takes the elephant (death) toll in the state since 2001 to 78," the HC said in its order.

There is a clear protocol that electricity lines passing over agricultural fields and forests should be at least 7.5 metres above the ground and should not dangle. Also, insulated cables should be used in such areas, the judges noted.

Nitin Singhvi, an activist, filed an application seeking to intervene through his lawyer Surya Kawalkar Dangi.

There were other recent incidents of wild animals dying due to electrocution, he said.

Advocate Dangi told the HC that as per newspaper reports, an elephant died due to electrocution on November 1 in Takhatpur forest range of Bilaspur Division as local farmers had laid live electric wires in the fields.

On October 10, three bears died due to electrocution in Kanker district. Live wires, laid to kill wild animals, also caused three human deaths, two in Korba district on October 16 and one in Ambikapur on October 22, the lawyer claimed.

Advocate general Prafull Bharat, appearing for the state government, said in the Raigarh case, where three elephants died, the electricity wire was at a height below the permissible level.

Action was taken against the concerned forest guard and deputy ranger, and the electricity department also took action against an erring official, he said.

The court then directed the secretary of the state energy department and managing director of the Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company to file personal affidavits regarding the remedial steps taken in these incidents of electrocution and action taken against the erring officials.

The court will hear the PIL next on November 20. PTI COR TKP KRK