Two female elephants were killed in Bargarh Forest Division on Friday morning after they came in contact with a live wire in Junani village under Ambabhana block. Locals had laid traps using electricity supply lines for wild boars but the pachyderms walked into the farm field and paid with their lives.

In the last two months, six elephants have died of electrocution in the State. On October 12, a female elephant and her calf were killed by the electricity supply lines in Gundlei, about 35 kms from Dhenkanal town.

In the last seven years, at least 69 elephants have died by way of electrocution - deliberate as well as accidental. During the period, about 40 elephants were poached while poisoning, another way of killing the jumbos, claimed 15 lives. As many as 14 elephants died by train hits while 34 died in different accidents.

The fact remains that poaching does not kill more elephants in Odisha, electrocution does. In absence of monitoring from the Energy Department which is sitting pretty leaving the matters to distribution companies (discoms), the vulnerability of the jumbos has grown.

Peeved with a sudden spurt in elephant electrocution deaths in the last two months, the Wildlife Wing has decided to take up the matter with Principal Chief Electrical Inspector who is mandated with overseeing maintenance of the electricity infrastructure in the State.

“The Wildlife Wing has been holding monthly coordination meetings with the discoms to apprise them of the problem areas which need attention but infrastructure need to improve along with vigilance which needs more responsiveness from the Department,” said a senior officer.

Two years back, the State Government had allocated Rs 21 crore for improvement of electricity infrastructure in elephant corridors to heighten safety but it has not worked much. Sources in the Wildlife Wing said CESU jurisdiction remains a matter of concern.

Investigation into the Dhenkanal electrocution deaths revealed that the local forest staff had spotted the sagging 11 kv line and informed the Junior Engineer concerned but the latter took plea of a public holiday and decided to correct the problem later. The outcome was tragic. In last seven years, at least 438 elephants have died in Odisha.