Stories
Tragedy in Salboni: Mother Elephant and 2 Calves Die from Electrocution, Illegal Connection Suspected
- •A mother elephant and her two calves died due to electrocution in Salboni, West Midnapore.
- •The incident occurred in a paddy field adjacent to the Ranjar forest in the Pirakata Range.
- •Preliminary investigation by the forest department suggests the elephants were electrocuted by illegal three-phase wires laid for a shallow pump.
- •The landowner has been absconding since the incident, raising questions about the electricity department's role.
- •The forest department has assured a full investigation, and post-mortems will be conducted on the deceased elephants.
Key Questions Answered
The forest department reported that three elephants, including an adult and two calves, died after getting electrocuted by broken, high-voltage electric wires laid illegally through a paddy field to operate a shallow pump. Local residents discovered the dead animals on a Sunday morning in the Pirakata Range.
Following the incident, forest department officials rushed to the scene to investigate, and the landowner responsible for the illegal connection has been absconding. The bodies of the three elephants were scheduled to be recovered and taken to the Arabari forest for a post-mortem examination on Sunday.
Villagers stated that they are forced to run electricity connections across their lands because the electricity department fails to provide sufficient electric poles and charges extra money for them.
