Address wild elephant deaths in Kerala

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF&CC) and Kerala’s forest authorities to address a disturbing rise in elephant deaths across the state. The tribunal’s intervention follows a suo motu cognizance of a report revealing that 845 elephants have died in Kerala’s forests between 2015 and 2023.

The NGT bench — comprising chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi, and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel — initiated the proceedings in response to an article documenting the escalating mortality rate, particularly among young elephants.

The report highlighted that about 40% of these young elephants fell victim to Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus-Haemorrhagic Disease (EEHV-HD). The tribunal noted that compliance with environmental regulations, specifically the Environment Protection Act of 1986 and the Biological Diversity Act, is crucial in addressing the crisis.

In light of this, the NGT has suggested adopting a protocol similar to Tamil Nadu’s Elephant Death Audit Framework (EDAF) to systematically monitor and investigate elephant fatalities in Kerala. The tribunal has issued notices to MoEF&CC, principal chief conservator of forest and the chief wildlife warden of Kerala, mandating them to address these issues.