The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Thursday, 28 May raised serious alarm over the escalating human-elephant conflict in Odisha, accusing the current state government of failing to safeguard elephant corridors, preserve forest cover, and manage wildlife habitats — with 171 human deaths and around 500 injuries reported from elephant attacks in 2024-25 alone.

Key Figures Cited

Speaking at a press conference at the BJD party headquarters in Bhubaneswar, BJD Senior Vice President Debi Prasad Mishra cited official data to underscore the scale of the crisis. According to the 2024 elephant census, Odisha has a population of 2,103 elephants. Yet nearly 185 elephant deaths were recorded in the last two years, placing the state among those with the highest elephant mortality rates in the country.

Mishra stated that over the last three years, 523 people have died in wildlife attacks across the state, of which 443 deaths were caused specifically by elephants. During the same period, 264 elephant deaths were also documented. He further claimed that Odisha now records 17 human deaths per 100 elephants — the highest ratio in India.

Districts in the Conflict Zone

Mishra identified Dhenkanal, Angul, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, and Khordha as the districts most severely affected by elephant incursions. He alleged that unscientific mining operations, large-scale deforestation, and unchecked developmental projects within elephant movement zones have disrupted natural habitats, forcing elephants into human settlements in search of food and water.

Electrocution, train accidents, poaching, dehydration, fodder shortage, and acute water scarcity inside forests were cited as the primary causes of elephant deaths, according to Mishra.

CAMPA Funds Not Being Used Properly, Says BJD

The BJD leader alleged that funds allocated under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) were not being properly utilised for elephant habitat conservation, conflict mitigation, water management, or fodder development. This, he argued, has compounded the crisis by leaving critical conservation infrastructure underfunded.

This comes amid a broader national concern over human-wildlife conflict, which wildlife experts and conservationists have repeatedly flagged as a consequence of shrinking forest cover and fragmented wildlife corridors across central and eastern India.

What the Previous Government Did — and What BJD Demands Now

Highlighting steps taken during the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government, Mishra pointed to the identification of elephant corridors, installation of solar fencing, deployment of elephant-tracking systems, and enhanced compensation for affected families as measures that had been implemented but are now allegedly being neglected.

The party has demanded immediate legal protection for all identified elephant corridors, scientific monitoring and early warning systems in conflict-prone zones, adequate compensation for affected families, and the formation of district-level task forces for wildlife management and public safety. The BJD also urged the state government to halt unscientific mining and forest destruction in wildlife-sensitive areas.

With the conflict showing no signs of abating, pressure is likely to mount on the state administration to present a concrete, time-bound action plan — particularly ahead of the next monsoon season, when elephant movement traditionally intensifies.