Chief Minister Hemant Soren has ordered urgent government action to address a surge in human-elephant conflicts across Jharkhand, where dozens of residents have been killed in recent months. Soren convened a high-level meeting with senior officials of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department in Ranchi and stressed that no further deaths due to elephant attacks should occur, according to government sources.

Officials informed the Chief Minister that approximately 27 people died in incidents involving wild elephants in districts including Ramgarh, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Chaibasa, Jamshedpur, Lohardaga, Gumla and Dumka over the past few months, a trend Soren described as “a matter of serious concern.” The directive comes a day after seven people — including four members of a single family — were trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants in Hazaribagh district.

Soren instructed forest department officials to strengthen tracking and monitoring of elephant movements and develop a rapid response mechanism to protect vulnerable communities. Authorities say six trained ‘kumki’ elephants — specially trained jumbos used for herding and rescue operations — are being brought in to assist in managing aggressive herds in affected zones.

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Recognizing the role of local communities, the Chief Minister directed that villagers in high-risk areas receive technical training to help form elephant rescue teams. The government also plans to provide essential deterrent materials such as diesel, kerosene, torches, old tyres and solar sirens to help villagers discourage elephants from entering habitations safely.

Soren emphasised timely relief for affected families, ordering that compensation for loss of life or property must be disbursed within 12 days of an incident. He also asked officials to compile detailed data on past casualties and compensation and to map elephant corridors across the state to better understand and predict movement patterns.

The directives reflect growing concern over human–wildlife conflict in Jharkhand, where fragmented habitats and expanding settlements have pushed elephant herds closer to rural communities, leading to repeated confrontations. With coordinated intervention and community involvement, the state government aims to reduce fatalities and safeguard both human lives and wildlife.

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