Karnataka HC orders stronger protections for elephants after series of electrocution deaths
Additional safeguards, including radio collaring of elephants and construction of road overpasses, were advised to minimize the risk of accidents and human-animal conflict.
In its letter, the ministry listed 20 suggestions to help the institute take corrective measures to revise and resubmit the report. (File photo) The Karnataka High Court has issued directions aimed at protecting elephants from electrocution, following a spate of deaths across the state.
The court order, passed late last month by a division bench led by Chief Justice N V Anjaria and Justice M I Arun, became public recently and responds to a suo-motu public interest litigation that the court initiated in June 2023.
The case was triggered by widespread public outrage after an elephant named Aswathama — a participant in the celebrated annual Dasara elephant parade — died by electrocution.
“The successive and repeated incidents of the death of elephants… is a serious matter to worry,” the court had observed. “The report reflects that the incidents take place for want of diligence on part of the authorities concerned in charge of ensuring safety measures for the elephants in particular.”
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