Bhubaneswar: At least 843 elephants have died in Odisha within the period 2010-11 till March 22 of 2020-21, Forest & Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha informed the State Assembly on Tuesday.
Responding to a query of BJP legislator Mohan Charan Majhi, Arukha said that 14 elephant corridors and three Elephant Reserves (ERs)– Sambalpur Elephant Reserve, Mahanadi Elephant Reserve, and Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve–have been identified in the State.
Arukha further informed that a proposal to expand two elephant reserves (ER) to provide enough space for the elephants to move without any disturbances is under consideration of the State Government. It has been recommended to expand the existing area of 426.91 sq km of Sambalpur Elephant Reserve to 1797.048 sq km and the 1038.3 sq km area of Mahanadi Elephant Reserve to 2,181.521 sq km.
A total of Rs 1070.69 lakh has been spent in the last ten years under various projects of the Central and State Government and under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) scheme for the restoration of these corridors and reserves.
Tally of amount spent under various projects (10 years):
2010-11: 29.74
2011-12: 0.00
2012-13: 10.00
2013-14: 94.85
2014-15: 74.35
2015-16: 119.84
2016-17: 141.65
2017-18: 180.33
2018–19: 178.55
2019-20: 241.33
All above data were shared in a written response by Arukha to a query raised by BJP’s Mohan Charan Majhi.