Bhubaneswar: Odisha is witnessing a worrying surge in human-animal conflict, with 45 human lives and nine elephants lost between April 1 and September 15, 2025.
This has been informed by Forest, Environment & Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia in the Assembly on Tuesday.
Responding to a question by Kantamal MLA Kanhai Charan Danga, the Minister revealed that seven elephants died due to electrocution, one in a train accident, and another was killed by poachers.
To tackle the crisis, the Forest Department, in coordination with the Energy Department, has launched preventive measures in high-risk areas. These include insulating live wires, modifying iron spikes on poles, fencing transformers, maintaining safe clearance of hanging wires, cutting power temporarily during elephant movement in villages, and creating barriers in poaching-prone zones.