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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.”
According to data submitted during the hearings, forest officials confirmed that 46 elephants have died from electrocution in Karnataka since 2021.
The primary causes, they said, were sagging power lines — often a result of insufficient maintenance — and illegal electric fences erected by farmers seeking to protect their crops.
In response, the court ordered authorities to map high-risk areas for electrical hazards and implement national guidelines regulating power lines in forested regions. Officials were also directed to fix drooping lines and replace unlawful electric fencing with safer protective barricades.
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The court urged the adoption of advanced monitoring technologies, citing a pilot project underway in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve that employs artificial intelligence software and CCTV cameras.
“The authorities shall use advanced technical inventions including e-surveillance system which is stated to be a pilot project undertaken in the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve by using artificial intelligence software and CCTV camera,” the Bench stated.
Additional safeguards, including radio collaring of elephants and construction of road overpasses, were advised to minimize the risk of accidents and human-animal conflict.
The court also reiterated that legal accountability would extend to forest officials in cases where negligence was found to have contributed to elephant deaths.
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Finally, the Bench directed compliance with prior rulings by the Supreme Court concerning wildlife conservation and stressed the need for strict enforcement of laws governing both electricity safety and wildlife protection.
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