Bhubaneswar, April 2: A total of 27 elephants have died due to electrocution in Odisha over the past five years, with 17 of these fatalities reported in western Odisha alone, informed Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo in the State Assembly on Wednesday.

Singh Deo, who also holds the Energy portfolio, provided this data in response to a question raised by Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Arun Sahu. According to the statistics, one elephant died due to electrocution in 2020-21, while two such deaths were reported in both 2021-22 and 2023-24. The highest number of fatalities was recorded in 2024-25, with 11 elephants succumbing to electrocution.

To mitigate these incidents, the Odisha government is implementing a multi-pronged strategy, including strengthening power infrastructure in wildlife-prone areas, conducting regular maintenance of transmission lines, and improving coordination between the Forest and Energy departments.

Authorities are also focusing on real-time information sharing and swift action to prevent such tragic incidents in the future. Wildlife conservationists have urged for stricter enforcement to safeguard elephants from electrocution hazards.

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