Hassan: A wild elephant was electrocuted at Kogile mane village in Bikkodu hobli of Belur taluk on Sunday night, after it came in contact with a live wire. Villagers, who bid a tearful adieu to the jumbo, blamed the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) for improper maintenance of power lines.The female elephant was aged around 25-year-old and was part of herd of 18 elephants, which all separated and formed into different groups and are moving around. This elephant was one among them,” a forest official said.DCF Saurabh Kumar told TOI that the power lines were hanging low, leading to the incident. “In normal areas, the wires should be at least 3.5 metres above the ground, but here it was below the normal height. In elephant corridors, the wires must be much above the normal level,” he stated .“We have filed a case against CESC authorities, who maintain power supply in the region,” the DCF added.CESC Belur assistant executive engineer admitted to the lapse and said the department must own responsibility. “We have already submitted a proposal to fix the power lines,” he said.
