Initiating steps for the purpose of elephant safety in the state, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday announed plans for formation of a state-level elephant task force to protect the species.

In abid to foster human-elephant coexistence, 'Haathi Mitra' will be appointed, solar fencing in areas with high traffic of wild elephants will also be installed to protect crops. Additionally, efforts will be made to connect farmers with agroforestry and other alternative activities.

Describing the recent deaths of elephants in Umaria district as 'distressing', Yadav said that a high-level team has studied the situation in the area, but further developments and action hinges on the result of a detailed postmortem report.He underlined that no pesticides were found in the preliminary postmortem examination while adding that the the  recent influx of large elephant herds Is a recent phenomenon in Umaria and Sidhi districts. Hence, field directors and other officials need to remain vigilant.

Regarding accountability, Yadav stated that the field director's absence during such a significant incident, and the lack of necessary precautions regarding the previous elephant herds, led to the suspension of Field Director Gaurav Chaudhary and in-charge ACF Fateh Singh Ninama.

Yadav mentioned that the Bandhavgarh area and other forest regions have favourable conditions for elephants. The effective management of these areas has prevented elephants from returning to Chhattisgarh and other states. With large herds settling in the state, a decision is being made at the government level to establish an elephant task force for sustainable management.

Plans are underway to implement precautions for elephants living alongside other wildlife, incorporating best practices from Karnataka, Kerala, and Assam, where there are significant elephant populations.

In response to the recent fatalities, the compensation for loss of life will be increased from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 25 lakh per person. The families of the two deceased individuals will also be compensated.

Efforts will be made to promote agroforestry and other alternative activities to encourage farmers to engage with forest management, rather than relying solely on traditional farming.Yadav indicated that radio tracking will be implemented for solitary elephants to monitor their movements and prevent future incidents.

Experts will be invited to suggest other significant measures. The Chief Minister stressed the need for community cooperation in areas where elephants reside and pledged to raise public awareness through district administration.

In a meeting at his residence, Yadav received detailed information from a high-level team that had returned from Umaria regarding the elephant deaths. The team included the Minister of Forests and the Additional Chief Secretary of Forests, who provided insights from their visit.

Other officials, including the Chief Secretary, also participated virtually.In the Bagdara beat of the Khtouli range, a rescue operation successfully identified and rescued the elephant involved in the trampling incident on November 2, which resulted in two fatalities. The operation, led by the PCCF Wildlife and APCF Wildlife, involved 40 personnel, including wildlife veterinarians and the rescue team.It is noteworthy that the two deaths occurred when an elephant trampled individuals in the forest  buffer range of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and in the Umaria Forest Division.