The State Government on Thursday announced a Rs 20-crore plan to save elephants from electrocution and poachers. The elephant conservation project would be launched in three districts in the first phase, official sources said.
According to official sources, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, bed-ridden for his ankle Injury, held a review meeting at this residence Navin Nivas on the conservation of elephants.
Concerned over the growing number of deaths due to electrocution and poaching of jumbos, Patnaik asked officials of the Energy and the Forest Departments to jointly prepare a comprehensive plan so as to avoid electrocution of elephants. Besides, he asked the officials to strengthen the forest intelligence and management system to check poaching and nab the poachers.
Meanwhile, as part of the elephant conservation scheme, construction of 14 elephant corridors is underway at an estimated cost of Rs 51 crore.
Since Angul, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal districts are known to be the major habitats of elephants in the State and most of the elephants die due to electrocution after coming in contact with sagging electric lines in the forest areas, the Chief Minister has asked the Energy Department to set up heightened poles in the corridors.
Besides, during the meeting it was decided to constitute at least 51 Special Squads by the Forest Department to take on poachers. The Chief Minister also asked the Forest officials to adopt the hitech GPS system to track the movement of elephants so that precautionary measures can be taken.
According official sources, the Chief Minister also ordered to increase the compensation amount in case of death due to elephant attack from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. Similarly the compensation for crop loss has been hiked from Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000 per acre and house damage compensation from Rs 3,500 to Rs 10,000.
Patnaik also asked the forest officials to decentralise the provision of distribution of compensation amount. He wanted the concerned DFO to be authorised to distribute it to the affected families.
