Guwahati, Jul 22, 2024, IANS

Guwahati, July 22 (IANS) Northeastern region’s leading biodiversity conservation organisation, ‘Aaranyak’ and a few organisations in Assam on Monday demanded legal action against the alleged illegal disposal of elephant carcass inside Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) campus in Golaghat district. Member of the Steering Committee of the government’s Project Elephant Bibhuti P Lahkar also in a letter to Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav demanded proper inquiry into the illegal disposal of elephant carcasses inside the NRL campus. The Assam Forest Department exhumed the carcass of the elephant on July 19 and later, a post-mortem was carried out. A case under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 was registered by the Forest Department after the NRL buried the carcass of the wild elephant without informing the Forest Department. ‘Aaranyak’, a member of the State Board of Wildlife, Assam and former member of the National Board of Wildlife, expressed its deep concern and outrage about the July 18 incident involving the death of a female wild elephant inside the Numaligarh Oil Refinery campus in Golaghat district of Assam. “This tragic event is a stark reminder of the ongoing threats faced by elephants in their natural habitat, particularly in the Golaghat district, which is part of a critical elephant corridor,” ‘Aaranyak’ said in a statement. It said that reports indicate that the elephant died due to suspected electrocution after coming into contact with an exposed power cable within the Butterfly Park adjacent to the refinery, set up by the government under the provisions made in the historic Assam Accord signed on August 15, 1985. ‘Aaranyak’ said: “What is even more shocking is that the refinery authorities buried the elephant without notifying the forest department, in gross violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 as amended in 2022. The biodiversity protection body said that the elephants are classified as Schedule I animals under the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2022, and recognized as endangered species, besides the National Heritage Animal in the country, deserve the highest level of protection and respect.” This incident raises serious questions about the operational protocols of the NRL, its intention and its commitment towards the welfare of wildlife, it said. Various students and wildlife-related organisations in Golaghat district also demanded a probe and legal action against those responsible for the death and illegal burial of the elephant. On July 12, Assam Water Resources and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika requested the state’s Environment and Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary to take measures to prevent elephant deaths hit by trains. Hazarika’s request to Patowary comes four days after an adult wild elephant died after being hit by a speeding train in Assam’s Morigaon district on July 9. Officials said the mishap took place in the Jagiroad area on the outskirts of Guwahati city. The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) officials said that the area was not an elephant corridor, so there were no speed restrictions.