The Court had taken the matter suo motu following the deaths of elephants in Kabini backwaters in 2008 making the state as the respondent in the case.
Following the notice issued to the state by the High Court, a submission was made about the measures taken to prevent the death of elephants in the state.
Man-animal conflict
This consisted of elephant rescue operations, human-animal conflicts, the formation of elephant corridors and compensation provided to villages for the destruction wreaked by the elephants on farms.
The state also submitted details about the patrolling, fencing and personnel appointed to prevent the death of elephants.
The state submitted that they had sought Central funding to implement some of the measures but the Centre had not paid its share of money amounting to Rs 2.5 crore.
Later the Karnataka Legal Services Authority also submitted a report on the delay in implementing the project and preventing the deaths of elephants through electrocution in the fields. Subsequently, the state requested that the Centre also be impleaded in the case and the High Court agreed.
The Court had also suggested the services of Range Forest Officer Basavanna to assist the state in its efforts to protect the elephants.
Coincidentally, the matter came up for hearing on Friday in the backdrop of the death of three elephant calves in Hassan. Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice A S Bopanna expressed their anxiety at the deaths and instructed the state government to take positive steps to protect the elephants.