Upa Lokayukta books 2 forest officials over deaths at Dubare

THe mysore Upa Lokayukta has initiated suo motu proceedings against 2 timberland officials o'er the deaths of a holidaymaker and a captive elephant at the Dubare Elephant Camp in Kodagu district, holding them prima facie responsible for negligence and administrative lapses.Upa Lokayukta Justice KN Phaneendra registered the case against A Gopal, Assistant Conservator of Forests of the Somwarpet subdivision, and BK Rakshit, Range Forest Officer of Kushalnagar, following the May 18 incident at the popular tourist camp.The action came after media reports and public concern surrounding the tragedy, in which a 33-year-old tourist from Tamil Nadu died during a violent clash between two elephants inside the camp premises. A captive elephant named Marthanda, which was injured in the same incident, later died.In his order, Justice Phaneendra observed that the incident appeared to involve negligence and failures on the part of forest authorities responsible for managing the camp. He said several issues linked to safety and administration at Dubare required urgent attention to prevent similar incidents.The Upa Lokayukta stated that the matter raised concerns related to Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and safety. The order also referred to Supreme Court observations that place responsibility on government agencies and public authorities to ensure safety in places visited by the public.The two forest officials have been directed to personally submit their explanations before the Upa Lokayukta by June 24.The case has intensified questions over safety arrangements at Karnataka’s elephant camps, which attract large numbers of tourists each year. Environmentalists and wildlife activists said several recommendations made years ago on elephant camp management and visitor safety had not been fully implemented.Many of those recommendations were contained in a report prepared by an expert committee headed by forest officer KM Chinnappa. The panel was constituted following directions from the Karnataka High Court after a 2019 public interest litigation linked to the death of an elephant at Mathigodu camp in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve.The committee examined elephant camps across Karnataka and identified deficiencies in elephant welfare, veterinary care and camp administration. Among its recommendations was a restriction on tourists getting too close to elephants at public camps, a measure conservationists say has not been enforced consistently.The panel also recommended restructuring camp operations and limiting camps to around 15 elephants in order to reduce pressure on staff, infrastructure and forest resources.According to the report, growing numbers of captive elephants had strained manpower, hygiene systems and vegetation in and around the camps. The committee further recommended that camps inside protected areas and tiger reserves should retain only the minimum number of elephants required for patrolling and safari activities.It also suggested that kumki elephants used in conflict management operations should be stationed outside core forest areas.The report proposed relocating the Rampura, Mathigodu and Balle elephant camps from core and critical tiger habitats within Bandipur and Nagarahole tiger reserves. It also flagged infrastructure concerns at Mathigodu camp, including the absence of a perennial water source, which affected hygiene conditions during summer months.The committee additionally suggested shifting Sakrebyle Elephant Camp, which has operated since the 1960s, to a location outside the protected area network.