Elephant deaths in Madhya Pradesh : Will learn from other states, draw up long term plan, says CM Mohan Yadav

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday underlined the need for an elephant task force, radio tracking and a long term plan with the help of wildlife experts to avoid a repeat of jumbo deaths and attacks on humans.

On October 29, four wild elephants were found dead in Sankhani and Bakeli under the Khalil range of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve reserve in Umaria district, while four died on October 30 and two on October 31. On Saturday, two persons were killed and one injured in an elephant attack in the area.

"The elephants coming from other states, including Chhattisgarh, are not turning back due to the good environs and management of our parks. They have become an integral part of MP forest activities. Keeping this in mind, we have to look for a lasting plan for them," Yadav told PTI.

"We have decided to form an elephant task force to safely accommodate them. We will come up with a long-term plan comprising the best practices of other states, including Karnataka, Kerala and Assam that have huge jumbo populations. We are going to send our officers to these states," he said.

"In order to avoid man-animal conflicts, solar fencing will be installed around agriculture farms. This is so that the elephants do not destroy crops. The state government has decided to employ radio (collar) tracking of lone elephants that do not move in herds. This will ensure there is no repeat (of Saturday's incident in which two persons were killed by an aggressive tusker)," he added.

Yadav said several ways are being explored to ensure incidents like the multiple jumbo deaths and attacks on humans are not repeated. "We are going to seek the advice of wildlife experts for this," the CM said.

Total 10 elephants dead

BTR director Gaurav Choudhary and in charge assistant conservator of forests Fateh Singh Ninama were placed under suspension earlier in the day in connection with the death of the 10 elephants. The two were suspended based on the report of a panel comprising MP junior forest minister Pradeep Ahirwar, additional chief secretary Ashok Baranwal and head of Forest Force Aseem Shrivastava.

Two Bandhavgarh reserve officials suspended for lapses

Mohan Yadav suspended two senior officials of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve after a high-level team that probed the death of 10 elephants inside the park submitted its report. The report doesn't point to any pesticide or the role of “another side”, the CM said.

Action has been taken against reserve director Gaurav Choudhary and in-charge assistant conservator of forest (ACF) officer Fateh Singh Ninama for alleged lapses.

“The high-level team has submitted its report. Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve director has been suspended for switching off his phone, not returning to work after leave and other reasons. ACF Fateh Singh Ninama has also been suspended,” the CM told PTI here. Both have been suspended for showing laxity in performing their duties, he added.

(Inputs from PTI)