Ranchi: Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday issued sweeping directives to the Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Department to ensure that no human life is lost to elephant attacks in Jharkhand, expressing deep concern over rising casualties in recent months and calling for urgent, coordinated intervention.
Chairing a high-level review meeting at the Chief Minister’s residential office on Kanke Road, the Chief Minister described the recent spate of human-elephant conflict incidents as “extremely serious” and instructed officials to take immediate and effective steps in vulnerable districts to prevent further loss of life and property.
According to official figures placed before him, nearly 27 people have died in elephant attacks across districts, including Ramgarh, Bokaro, Hazaribag, Chaibasa, Jamshedpur, Lohardaga, Gumla, and Dumka, over the past few months.
Soren directed the department to ensure that “not even a single death” occurs due to elephant attacks and sought a robust mechanism to secure rural habitations located along forest fringes.
The Chief Minister questioned why a more effective system had not yet been institutionalized despite Jharkhand witnessing frequent elephant movement and straying from forest areas into villages.
In response, officials informed him that the department is in the process of strengthening a quick-response mechanism for elephant rescue and tracking. Six ‘kumki’ elephants are being procured to assist in herding and monitoring wild herds, particularly in conflict-prone zones.
The department also plans to engage specialized elephant rescue experts to enhance operational capacity.
Emphasising community participation, Soren directed officials to develop trained village-level elephant rescue teams in affected areas.
He called for technical training for rural residents so they can respond safely and effectively when herds approach human settlements.
The forest department has been instructed to provide essential materials such as diesel, kerosene, old tyres, torches, and solar sirens to help villagers drive away elephants without risking confrontation.
He stressed the need for improved coordination between forest personnel and local communities, alongside sustained awareness campaigns on safety protocols.
The Chief Minister also laid down a strict timeline for compensation in cases of human casualties. He ordered that compensation in the event of death due to animal attacks must be disbursed within 12 days of the incident, without delay.
Any procedural bottlenecks in existing compensation rules are to be reviewed and amended to ensure swift relief to affected families.
Soren underlined that rural households often suffer not only loss of life but also damage to crops, livestock, and other livelihood assets, and said the government remains committed to providing just and timely assistance.
He further directed the department to furnish comprehensive data for the past five years on casualties and compensation related to animal attacks.
The government will review this data to strengthen policy response and accountability. Soren also ordered mapping of all elephant corridors within the state to better understand movement patterns and minimise conflict through scientific planning.
During the meeting, officials apprised the Chief Minister of a particularly aggressive herd of five elephants in the Hazaribag region.
A team of 70 personnel has been deployed to monitor and manage the herd’s movements, and the department remains on alert mode in sensitive districts.
Reiterating that the government is sensitive to the challenges posed by human-elephant conflict, Soren said incidents involving death, permanent disability, crop destruction and livestock loss must be treated with utmost seriousness.
He called for an institutional framework that combines rapid response, community engagement, scientific tracking, and assured compensation to protect both human lives and wildlife.
Senior officials, including the Chief Secretary and top forest and wildlife officers, were present at the meeting.
