Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday convened a high-level meeting with senior officials of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department at his Kanke Road residence, issuing firm instructions to curb fatalities caused by elephant attacks in Jharkhand.
Expressing deep concern over the rising human-elephant conflict, Soren stressed that safeguarding human life must be the department’s foremost priority. “No death due to elephant attacks should occur,” he said, calling for immediate preventive steps in districts facing repeated incidents. Recent reports indicate around 27 people have died in the past few months in areas including Ramgarh, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, West and East Singhbhum, Lohardaga, Gumla, and Dumka.
Soren instructed officials to strengthen tracking and monitoring systems for elephant movement. The department said six trained ‘kunki’ elephants are being arranged to assist in monitoring and rescue operations, and a rapid response mechanism is being developed with expert support. In sensitive zones such as Hazaribagh, special teams have already been deployed to manage aggressive herds.
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The Chief Minister highlighted the role of local communities, directing that villagers in vulnerable areas receive technical training to form rescue groups. Torches, solar sirens, and other deterrents will be provided to prevent elephants from entering habitations, alongside awareness drives and improved coordination in rural regions.
On compensation, Soren ordered that financial relief for loss of life or property be disbursed within 12 days of an incident. Officials were also asked to provide detailed data on casualties and compensation over the past five years and to map elephant corridors to address conflict zones more effectively.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment, Soren said that timely relief, preventive planning, and stronger coordination are vital to reducing human-elephant conflict in Jharkhand.
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