Elephant Deaths in Bandhavgarh: In response to the unfortunate deaths of 10 elephants in the Umaria district, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav announced the formation of a state-level elephant task force aimed at promoting harmonious coexistence between elephants and humans.
Special “Hathi Mitr” (elephant friends) will be appointed to support this initiative.
To protect farmers’ crops in areas with significant elephant activity, solar fencing systems will be installed. The government also plans to involve farmers in agro-forestry and alternative livelihoods beyond traditional agriculture.
Dr. Yadav emphasized the importance of developing forest areas that facilitate coexistence between elephants and human settlements. In districts where elephants inhabit forest regions, “elephant friends” will work to raise public awareness.
Expressing deep sorrow over the tragic incident, CM Dr. Yadav noted that preliminary reports indicated no traces of pesticides in the elephants, although detailed post-mortem results are still pending.
Dr. Yadav noted that the arrival of a large group of elephants in recent years has been a new and significant occurrence, with a notable presence in Umaria and Sidhi districts. He stressed the importance of field directors and other officials remaining alert and vigilant under these circumstances.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav stated that during the critical incident involving the deaths of multiple elephants, the field director did not return from leave. Due to this negligence, Field Director Gaurav Chaudhary has been suspended. Additionally, In-charge ACF Fateh Singh Ninama has also been suspended.
CM said that the Bandhavgarh region and other forest areas offer favorable and appealing conditions for elephants. He explained that, due to the excellent management of these forest zones, elephant herds that once migrated from Chhattisgarh and other states are now staying instead of returning. This has led to a significant presence of elephants, making it a key focus for the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department. To address this, the government is planning to establish an elephant task force for natural and sustainable management in response to the growing elephant population.
A strategic plan is being developed to ensure elephants can coexist safely with other wildlife. Best practices from Karnataka, Kerala, and Assam—states with significant elephant populations—will be adopted. Officials from Madhya Pradesh will visit these states to study their coexistence strategies and ensure that human life in buffer and core areas remains undisturbed while also safeguarding the elephants.
CM said that the compensation for loss of life in the incident that occurred in Umaria district has been increased from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 25 lakh per person. This increase will also apply to the families of the two people who lost their lives in the incident. Additionally, farmers will be encouraged to engage in agro-forestry and other alternative activities beyond traditional farming by integrating the private sector into forest area initiatives. .
Additional Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), L. Krishnamurthy, reported that the elephant responsible for the deaths of two people on November 2 was identified and successfully rescued.
On November 2, two tragic deaths occurred due to elephant attacks in Umaria district. The first incident took place in the forest area of the Dhamokar Buffer Range within the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, near Banka village in Chandia tehsil. The second fatality happened in the forest of the Chandia Range, located in Deora village, also within Chandia tehsil in the Umaria Forest Division.
