NGT Orders Action to Address Surge in Elephant Deaths in Kerala

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has instructed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and Kerala’s forest authorities to tackle the troubling increase in elephant deaths across the state.

This intervention follows the NGT’s suo motu cognizance of a report revealing that 845 elephants have died in Kerala’s forests between 2015 and 2023.

A bench of Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Judicial Member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi, and Expert Member Dr. A Senthil Vel, initiated the proceedings in response to an article documenting the rising mortality rate, especially among young elephants.

The report indicated that approximately 40% of these young elephants succumbed to Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus-Haemorrhagic Disease (EEHV-HD).

The tribunal emphasized that adherence to environmental regulations, specifically the Environment Protection Act of 1986 and the Biological Diversity Act, is vital to addressing this crisis. Consequently, the NGT has proposed implementing a protocol akin to Tamil Nadu’s Elephant Death Audit Framework (EDAF) to systematically monitor and investigate elephant fatalities in Kerala. The tribunal has issued notices to the MoEF&CC, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, and the Chief Wildlife Warden of Kerala, directing them to address these issues.

The matter is scheduled for further consideration on September 30 before the Southern Zonal Bench in Chennai.