Jumbos get safe passage as Bescom secures power lines in forests around Bengaluru

Time of India

8 hours ago

Bengaluru: Sagging power transmission lines and live wires drawn from transformers to energise irrigation pump (IP) sets in agricultural fields abutting forest areas around Bengaluru and adjoining districts once posed a considerable threat to elephants and other wildlife.
However, with the intervention of the high court, these forest areas have now become a safe habitat and passage for jumbos and other animals.
Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) has converted 1,342km of overhead bare conductors into either covered conductors or aerial bunched cables at cost of Rs 150 crore. Securing these transmission lines in forest areas with covered conductors has come as a welcome relief for the forest department's conservation efforts, reflected in the considerable drop in the number of elephant electrocution deaths in these forests.
Sources in the forest department said forests around Bengaluru and its adjoining districts, such as Kolar, Ramanagar, and Tumakuru, have a population of over 400 wild elephants. Taking cognisance of elephant electrocution during the hearing of PIL, the high court directed the forest department to coordinate with Bescom and ensure safe passage and habitat for elephants and other wildlife.
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"The forest departments identified the potential threat areas along with designated elephant corridors and forest areas that have Bescom power supply cables or low tension (LT) electrical towers.
Based on their recommendations, we prioritised the areas based on the density of elephants and undertook work in a phased manner over the last four years. Now, we have completed work in almost all identified elephant corridors, and currently, work at Kengeri division on the outskirts of Bengaluru is under way," said N Shivashankar, MD, Bescom.
Senior engineers at Bescom revealed jumbo corridors were identified in Chandapura, Kanakapura, KGF, and Kengeri divisions of Bescom.
"In KGF, we have the Kamasamudra wildlife area, while Bannerughatta National Park is spread over Chandapura and Kanakapura division along with Muthathi in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and other wildlife areas in Tumakuru. Wherever possible, we covered the bare conductors with insulators, and in other places, they have been bunched and secured so that even if animals come in contact with them, they will not suffer electric shock," the engineer said.
KJ George, energy minister, pointed out that most of these conductors included transmission lines to farmers' IP sets, low-level electric poles, transformers, and 11 kV transmission lines. "We took this work as a high priority, and work was taken up on a war footing to ensure these areas become safe for elephants. Due to this, wildlife casualties have come down considerably in Bescom limits," the minister said.
Wildlife casualties due to electrocution in Bescom limits
Year
Elephant
Sloth Bear
Leopard
2020-21
4
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2022-23
1
1
1
2023-24
1
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1