A Western Hoolock Gibbon, which is an endangered primate species native to the Garo Hills, has reportedly lost its life after coming into direct contact with a live overhead power line situated near Tura Peak. This unfortunate incident has triggered intense criticism directed at the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited due to its alleged failure to replace exposed high-tension wires running through the region. Local conservationists and residents point out that the ongoing infrastructural hazard poses a continuous threat to the local fauna.
Longstanding Demands to Replace Wires
According to a formal statement released by concerned local residents and wildlife advocates, repeated appeals have been submitted since 2021 by the DFO Wildlife, the Tura Municipal Board, and villagers from Gandrak, Adinggre, and Upper Chandmary. These groups have consistently urged the authorities to swap out bare high-tension wires with properly insulated cables along Tura Peak and its adjoining forested zones. Despite these persistent warnings, no substantial action was taken to secure the electrical grid in areas frequented by endangered wildlife.
Devastating Impact on Local Gibbon Family
The recent fatality has brought renewed attention to the perilous conditions faced by a specific Hoolock Gibbon family that has suffered multiple tragic losses over recent years. The statement highlighted that a female Hoolock Gibbon was previously electrocuted at Gandrak Dare back in 2023. Officials and advocates further alleged that four members belonging to this exact same family group have perished over the past few years, shrinking the total count of the troop down from an initial seven animals to an estimated two or three survivors.
This environmental hazard extends beyond primates, as the statement also linked these infrastructure risks to past wildlife casualties. It was alleged that wild elephants had previously died in South West Garo Hills after coming into physical contact with sagging 11KV power lines. Records indicate that the DFO Wildlife had sent official reminders to MeECL earlier this year, explicitly seeking immediate intervention to address the exposed electrical infrastructure before further harm could occur.
Demands for Strict Action and Accountability
In the wake of this latest tragedy, community members and wildlife groups are demanding the immediate replacement of all bare power lines with aerial bundled or insulated cables across Tura Peak and the fringes of Tura town. Furthermore, they have called for responsibility regarding the gibbon's death to be officially fixed under relevant provisions of the Electricity Act, including Section 53, alongside the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The stakeholders have additionally insisted that a comprehensive Action Taken Report concerning this incident be made public within a strict seven-day window, emphasizing the urgent need to protect Meghalaya's overlapping natural and human settlements from further ecological disasters.
