In the wake of recurring electrocution of wild elephants, the Orissa High Court has directed the power distribution companies (Discoms) in the state to put in place solar-powered fences to curb the electrocution of pachyderms.

Taking strong exception to the recurring death of elephants due to contact with sagging live wires, the bench of Chief Justice Dr S Muralidhar and Justice Gourishankar Satapathy said “the Court is of the view that steps would have to be taken by the DISCOMs to interact with the residents of villages falling within their respective areas which have witnessed elephant movement in the past.”

The DISCOMs would do well to persuade the villagers to go in for 6V Solar fencing and offer it as a viable alternative even while disconnecting the illegally ‘hooked’ electricity connections which are powering the ad hoc electric fences put up by the villagers to prevent attacks by wild animals of either humans or crops, the division bench ruled in an order on 9 May.

The Joint Task Force (JTF) constituted by the High Court had informed the Court that four elephants have been electrocuted by low-slung overhead electric cables in the State in the last two months.

It is absolutely essential for the DISCOMs to immediately identify all such instances of illegal hooking of electricity transmission lines to power such electric fences illegally put up in the villages and discontinue the practice forthwith. Sensitization meetings with the villagers by the officials of DISCOMs required to be undertaken in coordination with the Forest Officials. The Court would like to be informed by the next date of the exact extent of such 6V solar power/DC fences that have been erected in place of the electric fences which were earlier being used, the Court ordered.

Earlier a study undertaken by SNEHA (Support for Network and Extension Help Agency) having experience in working on human-elephant conflict issues in Karnataka had suggested for use of alternate 6V Solar or DC fence set-up which will “repel the wildlife or set off an alarm instead of creating causality.”

In the considered view of the Court, not enough steps have been taken to prevent deaths of elephants due to electrocution in Odisha. A direction is issued that the CEOs of the four DISCOMs will immediately convene a meeting within a week.

Chairperson of the JTF will also participate and chalk out a time bound plan for completing the survey of all the villages of their respective zones which have witnessed movement of wild animals, attacks by wild animals, destruction of crops and deaths of wild animals due to electrocution and roll out a plan for replacing of the electric fences wherever found with solar power fences as suggested by SNEHA, the order stated.