West Bengal’s Anti Electrocution cells to protect wild elephants – Burning Issues – Free PDF Download

POSITIVE STEP

• The West Bengal government has decided to constitute multi-departmental anti-electrocution cells to protect wild elephants in the state, officials said on Thursday. The decision in this regard was taken during a recent meeting in north Bengal between officials of the Power and Forest Departments, they said.

CELLS

• The cells will comprise officials of the Forest Directorate, the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL), district administration and police, besides local panchayat members, they said.

ELEPHANT CORRIDORS

• “During the meeting, it was also decided to identify and raise the height of sagging high-tension lines and cover certain electric poles near elephant corridors with barbed wires to prevent the pachyderms from leaning against them,” Chief Wildlife Warden V K Yadav said.

CHECKS

• The Forest Department will identify corridors frequented by the elephant and the WBSEDCL will insulate the low-tension lines passing through such corridors with aerial bunched cables, Yadav said.
• The department will also set up electric fences with “low-voltage pulsating current” to prevent the elephants from wandering into human settlements, he said.

CHECKS

• As per the department, 25 elephants have died due to electrocution in north Bengal in the last five years, of which nine incidents took place this year.
• “The principal cause of deaths of elephants was found to be unauthorised extension of low-tension domestic power lines on the periphery of the forests and the use of electric fences,” Yadav said.
• Copies of the recommendations made at the meeting have been forwarded to the top state officials

Latest Burning Issues | Free PDF

Sharing is caring!