Bhubaneswar: In the wake of the recent shocker deaths of seven jumbos due to electrocution in Dhenkanal, the state government has decided to ask forest and energy department officials to certify on the status of safety environment for elephants in their respective regions.
The government will seek certificate from divisional forest officers (DFO) and electrical executive engineers who will make a declaration that there are no electric wires sagging or low height electric poles in the identified elephant corridors and jumbo movement areas coming under their jurisdictions, an official of the energy department said.
Both the DFOs and electrical executive engineers will jointly sign the certificate and submit them to the government by November 30, he said.
The decision was taken following obnoxious blame game that the two departments indulged soon after the incident in Dhenkanal came to lime light, sources said.
As there is a shortage of fund in energy department to undertake massive work for strengthening power system in elephant corridors and movement areas, the forest department has been asked to make provisions for diversion of funds from the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for this work, they said.
The forest department was also asked to move the Centre, if required, to ensure allocating CAMPA fund for the elephant corridors.
Jumbo SOS to forest, energy depts
