Kerala, Karnataka lead in reducing human casualties from elephant attacks: Report
Hubballi: Karnataka and Kerala, two states that collectively house around 40% of India’s wild elephant population, have made notable efforts in preventing human casualties from elephant attacks.
Over the past five years, Karnataka recorded 160 human deaths due to elephant attacks, while Kerala lost 102 lives. Both states together host a combined total of 11,755 wild elephants out of the 29,964 wild jumbos in India as per the 2017 Elephant census, as reported by Deccan Herald on Thursday.
When standardised, every 100 elephants killed 2.6 humans in Karnataka, while in Kerala, the figure was lower at 1.78 deaths. In stark contrast, the national average stands at 9.44 human fatalities per 100 elephants.
Experts suggested that combination of habitat consolidation and the use of modern technology has contributed to the comparatively low number of human deaths in these two states.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had stated that between 2019 and 2024, wild elephants killed 2,829 humans. During the same period, India lost 528 elephants due to unnatural reasons including electrocution, run over by trains, poisoning and others, the report added.
State-wise, Odisha, which has a population of 1,976 elephants, reported the highest human death toll—624 lives lost to elephant attacks. Other states with significant fatalities include Jharkhand (474 deaths from 679 elephants), West Bengal (436 deaths from 194 elephants), and Assam (383 deaths from 5,719 elephants).
Government documents, cited by DH, revealed that West Bengal has the highest mortality rate when adjusted for elephant population size. In West Bengal, every 100 elephants are responsible for 224.74 human deaths. Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra follow closely behind with rates of 122.67 and 133.33 fatalities per 100 elephants, respectively.
Raman Sukumar, the former chairman of the Karnataka Elephant Task Force, attributed the relatively lower human casualties in Karnataka and Kerala to well-managed habitats and connectivity. He noted that states like West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand are witnessing higher human fatalities due to habitat fragmentation, range expansion and dispersing of elephants to newer habitats.
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Rupee dips after India-US trade rally; falls 22 paise to 90.54/USD
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 22 paise to 90.54 against the US dollar in early trade on Wednesday, following a sharp rally after India and the US agreed to a trade deal on suspected dollar buying by corporates and importers.
Forex traders said despite the positive sentiment post the India-US trade deal, caution still remains as there is no signed or officially released trade agreement yet — no framework text or final documentation.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.35 against the US dollar, then lost ground and fell to 90.54, registering a loss of 22 paise over its previous close.
On Tuesday, the Indian rupee emerged as the best-performing Asian currency, registering a record gain of 117 paise or 1.28 per cent in a single trading session to settle at 90.32 against the US dollar, after India and the US agreed to a trade deal.
"After Tuesday's good news the rupee was back to its own self of weakening as RBI bought dollars towards the end to take the dollar up to 90.2650," said Anil Kumar Bhansali Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
Forex traders said investors are trading with caution as the India-US trade deal still awaits formalisation.
"Any sustained turnaround in FII flows will depend on greater clarity around the final structure and commitments within the deal," CR Forex Advisors MD – Amit Pabari said.
President Trump stated that India will end purchases of Russian crude over an undefined timeline, while increasing imports of US energy, including oil and coal, and potentially Venezuelan crude with US approval.
"Moving away from discounted Russian oil could prove challenging for India, given its long-standing commercial and strategic ties with Moscow, and may have implications for India’s energy costs and external balance," Pabari added.
According to Pabari, the 89.80–90.00 zone should act as strong support. "Ultimately, the directional cue for the rupee will hinge on confirmation of the final trade agreement and its specifics. That clarity will determine whether this move extends — or pauses for consolidation," he said.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.02 per cent lower at 97.41.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.65 per cent at USD 67.77 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex advanced 68.49 points to 83,816.96 in early trade, while the Nifty was up 51.90 points to 25,779.45.
Foreign Institutional Investors purchased equities worth Rs 5,236.28 crore on Tuesday, according to exchange data.
