Guwahati: Following the media report on transportation of four elephants for the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad by the Assam Government, Kaliabor MP Gaurav Gogoi writes to Prakash Javedekar (Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) on Thursday raising concern over the transportation of elephants from Northeast to Gujarat terming it to be ‘risk-prone’.
The letter by MP Gaurav Gogoi reads, “Many wildlife activists had opposed the decision of the state government. Moreover, India is facing severe heatwave at the moment and these are extreme conditions for the elephants to travel. Roughly half of the country is struggling through its worst drought in six decades.”
Showing deep concern, MP Gaurav Gogoi further suggested that during these extreme conditions, elephants may suffer from acute skin infection and dehydration. “It is also unclear if these are wild or domesticated animals, and do Government rules allow for the transportation of wild animals for religious events,” added Gaurav Gogoi in his letter.
He also urged the Central Government to intervene and instruct State Government of Assam to withdraw the decision as soon as possible.
It is to be noted that there were reports surfacing in the media that four elephants from Assam set to undergo a dangerous journey to Ahmedabad for the annual Rath Yatra festival at the Jagannath temple on July 4.
Soon after the news, several wildlife activists from the state of Assam and other parts of the country are planning to move the Supreme Court against the flouting of a ban on elephant trade by the Assam government and allowing the transport of the jumbos to Gujarat.
Also, as per experts reports the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA) had strict rules when it came to capturing of wild animals, which is defined as ‘hunting’ (Section 2(16) of the WLPA). As a Schedule, I animal, Section 9 of the WLPA prohibits the capture of elephants from the wild. Capturing of wild elephants is allowed in limited circumstances by Section 11 and 12 of the Act. Moreover, as a Schedule I animal, any capture of an elephant for a specific purpose requires the permission of the Central Government.