Bhubaneswar, 28/05/2026: A press meet was held today at Sankha Bhawan where the Biju Janata Dal expressed deep concern over the alarming rise in human-elephant conflict across various districts of Odisha over the past few years. Incidents of human deaths, destruction of crops, and damage to houses caused by elephant attacks are continuously increasing, particularly in districts such as Dhenkanal, Angul, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, and Khurda.
Addressing the media, Senior Vice President of Biju Janata Dal, Shri Debi Prasad Mishra, stated that the present State Government has completely failed in protecting elephant corridors, conserving forests, and managing wildlife habitats effectively. He said that unscientific mining activities, large-scale destruction of forests, and unchecked developmental projects in elephant movement zones have forced elephants to enter human settlements, thereby endangering the lives and livelihoods of people across the State.
Shri Mishra highlighted that during the tenure of the former Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik-led Government, several significant initiatives had been undertaken for elephant conservation and habitat protection. Important steps were taken for the development and protection of elephant corridors, conservation of Similipal National Park and the Satkosia landscape, strengthening of forest habitats, and implementation of scientific wildlife management measures. He further stated that Odisha’s elephant census in 2024 recorded an elephant population of 2,103.
Expressing concern over the increasing deaths of elephants, Shri Mishra stated that nearly 185 elephant deaths have been reported in the last two years alone, making Odisha one of the States with the highest elephant mortality in the country. He said that electrocution, train accidents, poaching, dehydration, shortage of fodder, and acute water scarcity inside forests are among the major reasons behind these deaths. Due to poor water retention inside forests and the drying up of natural water sources and wells, elephants are increasingly venturing into human habitations in search of food and water.
He also pointed out that funds under CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) are meant to be utilised for elephant reserve habitat conservation, conflict mitigation, water management, and fodder development, but the present Government has failed to utilise these resources effectively. Shri Mishra stated that human-elephant conflict in Odisha has reached an alarming level, with 171 human deaths due to elephant attacks reported during 2024–25 and around 500 people injured in elephant-related incidents during the same period. He further informed that 523 people have lost their lives in wildlife attacks during the last three years, out of which 443 deaths were caused specifically by elephants. During the same period, 264 elephant deaths have also been reported in the State. With an elephant population of 2,103 as per the 2024 census, Odisha now records 17 human deaths per 100 elephants, the highest in India.
Shri Mishra further stated that during the Biju Janata Dal Government, several measures had been implemented for the protection of elephants and the safety of people, including identification of elephant corridors, installation of solar fencing, elephant tracking systems, enhancement of compensation for affected families, and strengthening of forest protection mechanisms. However, due to the negligence and inaction of the present Government, the situation has deteriorated considerably.
He demanded that all identified elephant corridors should immediately be granted legal protection and that adequate and timely compensation must be provided to families affected by elephant attacks and crop losses. He also urged the Government to stop unscientific mining and destruction of forests in wildlife-sensitive areas and to implement scientific monitoring and early warning systems in elephant movement zones. Shri Mishra further called upon the Government to constitute dedicated district-level task forces to ensure public safety and effective wildlife management.
Shri Debi Prasad Mishra appealed to the Government to address this serious issue not merely from a political perspective, but with a humanitarian and environmental approach, and to take immediate corrective measures to protect both human lives and wildlife.
