One Dead in UP Elephant Conflict, CM Pushes Strategy to End Human Casualties

Alarmed by the rising toll of human casualties in elephant attacks, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has called for urgent measures to ensure zero human deaths in man-elephant conflicts across the state. Over the past few months, 27 people have lost their lives in elephant attacks across districts such as Ramgarh, Bokaro, Hazaribag, Chaibasa, Jamshedpur, Lohardaga, Gumla, and Dumka, a trend the CM described as a “matter of serious concern.” The directive comes a day after a herd of wild elephants trampled seven people to death in Hazaribag, including four members of the same family.

Adding to the wider concern over human-elephant conflicts in India, a recent incident in Uttar Pradesh underscored the dangers faced by people living near forest areas. A 45-year-old woman, Munni Devi , was killed and her two sons injured in an encounter with a wild elephant on the Mihipurwa-Lakhimpur Road near the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday. Police said Munni Devi, a resident of Paras Purwa village in neighbouring Lakhimpur Kheri district, had travelled to Mihipurwa with her sons, Karan, around 20, and Arjun, around 17, on a motorcycle to seek treatment when the wild elephant appeared near the Mote Baba temple. Villagers reported that the elephant either charged at the motorcycle or startled the family, causing the bike to fall. Passersby raised an alarm, prompting the elephant to retreat into the forest. Munni Devi was critically injured and later declared dead by doctors at a hospital in Lakhimpur Kheri, while her sons were treated and discharged in stable condition. Forest officials have not ruled out whether her death was directly caused by the elephant or by injuries sustained in the crash, and a post-mortem report is awaited.

During a high-level meeting with top forest officials on Saturday, Soren urged comprehensive planning to prevent elephants from entering villages. Officials have been asked to map all elephant corridors, taking into account habitat loss, migration routes, and areas where human settlements overlap with wildlife paths. The CM stressed preventive and community-focused measures, including early warning systems , use of technology to monitor elephant movements, village-level training, and community awareness programmes. Trained personnel may also be incorporated into elephant rescue teams, while long-term wildlife conservation strategies and rehabilitation plans for displaced elephants are to be implemented.

Soren emphasized swift compensation for victims , instructing that families of any person killed by elephants receive full compensation within 12 days. He also directed officials to submit a five-year record of human casualties and corresponding compensation in man-elephant conflict cases. Forest authorities told the CM they were working on a quick and responsible rescue mechanism . To control aggressive herds, six ' Kumki ' elephants, trained jumbos, are being brought to Jharkhand to drive away, capture, or rescue wild elephants. Officials noted that the Hazaribag herd, comprising five elephants, is particularly aggressive, and 70 teams have been deployed to manage the situation.

Man-elephant conflicts in Jharkhand have surged recently. A rogue tusker in West Singhbhum claimed 20 lives in January, while a female elephant killed five people in Bokaro earlier this month. According to government records, such conflicts have claimed 474 lives since the 2019-20 fiscal, underscoring the urgent need for preventive and conservation measures. Across India, government data shows that in the last five years, around 2,800 people have died due to elephant attacks, with over 600 fatalities reported in the most recent year alone. During the same period, more than 528 elephants died from unnatural causes including train accidents, electrocution, and poisoning. Experts attribute the increase to habitat loss, fragmentation of forests, shrinking food and water resources, disruption of migration corridors, and human encroachment into wildlife territories. Infrastructure such as highways and railways cutting across forests further raises the risk of encounters, forcing animals closer to human settlements.

Authorities in Bahraich and neighbouring districts have urged villagers to exercise caution while travelling along forest-adjacent roads, especially during dawn and dusk when wildlife movement is at its peak. Forest officials are also working on community awareness programs, early warning systems, and mitigation strategies to reduce the growing toll of human-wildlife conflicts.

“Our government is very sensitive towards incidents of man-elephant conflicts,” Soren said, reiterating the focus on human safety , proactive management, and long-term wildlife conservation.