Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Decisions on elephant care extended to temples

Thiruvananthapuram: The government has decided to immediately extend the decisions on elephant management taken at meetings held by ministers to the temples controlled by Devaswom boards, Devaswom managing committees or the Hindu Religious and Charitable Institutions Department.

An official press note said here on Wednesday that these temples would be asked to discourage moves to start new poorams. Even for the existing poorams, the number of elephants should not be increased.

Committees consisting of the District Collector, the District Superintendent of Police, the District Forest Officer and a Devaswom member should be constituted for controlling festival matters. A ring should be constructed around the elephants with the help of the police and festival volunteers.

The “theevetti” should be held away to prevent the elephants from being affected by the heat. Adequate food and water should be given to the animals. They should also be made to stand on wet ground or water soaked gunny bags to prevent the heat from affecting the legs of the animals.

The meetings had called for strict measures to stop mahouts in an inebriated condition from taking the elephants for festival and from hurting them.

The elephants belonging to Devaswom boards should be registered with the Animal Welfare Board. Devaswom boards and the festival committees should take adequate steps to prevent the public from provoking or troubling the animals. The owner of the elephant should sign a bond or agreement with the festival committee for the purpose.

Insurance cover should be taken to meet the damages, if any, in the event of the elephant turning berserk. The elephant should be insured in the third party insurance manner. Elephants without license and insurance should not be used for processions.

The services of veterinary surgeons of the elephant squad should be utilised. The Forest Range Officer and the Station House Officer should be informed of elephant processions 72 hours in advance.

All the elephants in the procession should have fitness certificates. Public liability insurance should be compulsorily taken for parading more than five elephants. Elephants which had turned berserk during past festivals should be excluded. The meetings had also called for strengthening the training of mahouts.

Elephants should not be made to walk for more than 20 km a day or paraded for more than three hours continuously. The lorries in which they were transported should have a minimum length of 12 ft. They should also not be transported for more than 150 km in a day. After six hours in a lorry or truck, the elephants should be allowed to rest for six hours.

]Stringent action should be taken against those who troubled elephants.

These decisions were taken at meetings held by the Devaswom Minister with the Devaswom authorities and later with the Forest Minister, Forest officials and elephant lovers.

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