718 elephants killed in Odisha since 2000: Minister

718 elephants have died in since 2000 due to different reasons, Odisha government today told the state assembly.
This was stated by Forest and Environment Minister Bijayshree Routray while replying a question. He said the state government had identified 14 elephant corridors in the and taken up a five-year comprehensive project for their development in an effort to reduce man-animal conflict.
"We aim to complete the Rs 45.79-crore project by the end of 2016-17," Routray said.
The places proposed to be declared as elephant corridors are -Similipal, Badampahar, Badampahar-Karida, Hadgada-Kulad, Telkoi-Pallahara, Deuli-Suliapada, Karei-Karampada, Kanheijena-Anantpur, Maulaganj-Jindimal-Anantpur, Buguda-Nayagarh, Nuagaon-Baruni, Barpahar-Tarabha-Kantamal, Tala-Kholagarh, Kotagarh-Chandrapur and Karlapat-Bharladani.

The minister said the corridors would provide better habitats for the pachyderms with adequate water bodies, food availability and security.
The corridors would be spread over 870 sq km and will be 420.8 km long. It would include three inter-state corridors with West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, officials said.
The jumbo population Odisha was 1,886 according to the 2010 census.