Bhubaneswar: As many as 843 wild elephants have died in Odisha during 2010-2021, Forest and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha told the state Assembly Tuesday.
Replying to a question of Keonjhar MLA Mohan Majhi (BJP), the minister said the highest 93 elephants were killed in 2018-19 followed by 86 in 2015-16, 83 in 2010-11, and 82 each in 2012-13 & 2019-20.
The year 2014-15 recorded the lowest number of 54 elephant casualties while as many as 72 elephants were killed till March 22 last in 2020-21.
The state government, he said, in association with the Union government, has taken several short-term and long-term measures to resolve the human-elephant conflicts.
He said three elephant reserves – Sambalpur elephant reserve, Mahanadi elephant reserve and Mayurbhanj elephant reserve – and 14 elephant corridors in 16 Forest divisions have been identified.
A proposal to increase the area of Mahanadi elephant reserve from 1038.3 sqkm to 2181.521 sqkm and the Sambalpur elephant reserve from 426.91 sqkm to 1797.048 sqkm to give more space for the movement of elephants is under consideration of the state government, he said.
Arukha said during the last 10 years Rs 1,070.69 lakh has been spent to solve the elephant-man conflict under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning (CAMPA) scheme of both the state and the Union governments.
In order ameliorate the situation, Rs 11591.22429 lakh has been incurred under budget plans of the state and the Union governments during the last decade.
PNN