Haldwani, Oct. 23 -- Following the electrocution of an elephant in Haridwar, allegedly caused by dangling live wires, the Uttarakhand forest department has intensified monitoring across the Kumaon region to prevent similar incidents. Officials said the department has written to the Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), urging an immediate survey and repair of crooked poles and hanging electric lines along forest boundaries, especially near the Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary. Haldwani Forest Division Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Kundan Kumar said the forests under his jurisdiction stretch across Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, and Champawat, covering the Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary and sections of the Shivalik Elephant Corridor, a vital route for elephant migration between the Corbett Tiger Reserve and Nepal. "Last week, in Haridwar, a tilted electric pole with loose wires led to the death of an elephant after it came in contact with live cables. Similar risks exist in many parts of Kumaon, where power lines pass through farmlands and forest edges. If left unattended, these could cause further tragedies," Kumar said. He added that the department has maintained heightened vigilance since the Haridwar incident. "Electric poles and high-tension lines run dangerously close to forests and agricultural fields in several areas. We have written to electricity officials in Nainital and Champawat, directing them to conduct a detailed survey to identify damaged poles and dangling wires and ensure prompt repairs to safeguard elephants and other wildlife," he said. Situated between the Gaula and Sharda rivers, the Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary forms a crucial ecological link between the forests of Ramnagar and Terai Central divisions and Nepal's Shuklaphanta National Park. Declared part of the Shivalik Elephant Reserve in 2002, the sanctuary supports rich biodiversity, hosting around 25 mammal species, 250 bird species, 15 reptiles, and 20 fish species, including elephants, leopards, tigers, and sloth bears. The Haridwar incident is part of a series of elephant electrocutions in recent years. In September 2024, an elephant died after contacting overhead power lines in Haridwar's Shyampur area. In June 2024, another was electrocuted while crossing sugarcane fields in Dineshpur, Udham Singh Nagar, and in January 2023, a 25-year-old male elephant died after touching an 11 KV high-tension line in Motahaldu, Haldwani. A similar death occurred in December 2022 in Khanpur, Haridwar, near a farmland. According to the latest elephant census, Uttarakhand is home to 2,026 elephants, marking a 29.9% increase since 2015. Most elephants are concentrated in the Corbett landscape and Terai plains, where human-elephant conflicts are frequent. The Corbett region alone houses nearly 1,400 elephants and features three major corridors connecting the Corbett Tiger Reserve with the Ramnagar forests along the Kosi River. Forest officials said that coordination between forest and power departments is crucial to prevent further electrocution deaths, as the growing human-elephant interface continues to challenge wildlife conservation in Uttarakhand....