Bhubaneswar, Feb 19 : As many as 2103 elephants are present in Odisha jungles as per the findings of the latest elephant census conducted in the state during November 2024.

The Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia presented this information while replying to a question raised in the Assembly on Wednesday.

The elephant census found the presence of 295 jumbos in Mayurbhanj district while Dhenkanal district has 291 elephants. As many as 254 elephants are estimated to be present in Angul district of the state.

As per the information shared by the Forest Minister Singh Khuntia, on average, 81 elephants have died every year in the state during the last three years.

The primary causes of death of the elephants are poaching, electrocution, train accidents, road accidents, various diseases, human revenge and other natural causes including quarrels, falls from hills, drowning, old age etc.

The state government is taking various steps to check the human-elephant conflicts in the state resulting in human fatalities and the loss of properties.

Plantation of fodder trees for elephants in the forest, development of grazing land, creation of artificial reservoirs, protection from forest fires, anti-poaching camps, forest patrols, monitoring of wildlife and poachers' movements, awareness etc. have been made through the use of technology.

Singh Khuntia further noted that to protect crops, orchards and other infrastructure from elephant encroachment, a scheme called 'Jan Suraksha & Gaja Raksha' has been implemented in villages that are more prone to encroachment, in which the government has made concessions for installing solar fences to protect them from elephant encroachment.

The state government has also taken several steps to prevent the intrusion of elephants by digging elephant-proof trenches. Through the Van Suraksha Samiti (VSS) and the Environment Development Committee (EDC), volunteers called 'Gaja Saathi' are being identified in villages sensitive to elephant encroachment and alerting the villagers about elephant movements.

Singh Khuntia also revealed in the house that awareness is being created among the people. To prevent the encroachment of wild animals, the government is providing compassionate compensation for damage caused by encroachment as per the rules.

A simple and user-friendly portal called 'Anukampa' has also been introduced for the prompt disbursement of assistance.

/IANS