Processions now allowed to bring in elephants from different states

To begin with, the temple trusts and other organizations planning to conduct processions have to obtain permission from the police department.

Hyderabad: Elephants are the cynosure of all eyes during different religious processions held in the city. But do you know that temple trusts and individuals organizing different festivities have to make jumbo efforts to get elephants from other States for conducting such processions?

To begin with, the temple trusts and other organizations planning to conduct processions have to obtain permission from the police department. After obtaining permissions from police, the trusts or individuals have to approach temples, mutts and private individuals, who own elephants in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and other States.

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This will be followed with an approval from the Chief Wildlife Warden of the respective State for issuing a No Objection Certificate for permitting entry of elephants into Telangana. A veterinary officer should also certify about the health of the elephant and its fitness to travel by road to Telangana, said a senior official from the Forest department.

In addition to these permissions, organizations have to pay Rs.25,000 towards fee to the department. This includes veterinary officer’s fee, vehicle, tranquilizer shots and other expenditure. This team will follow the elephant all along the procession route to ensure there was no mishap, the official said.

This has been a regular practice and with Forest Minister Konda Surekha on December 17 signing the file to permit organizations for getting elephants from other States to Telangana. there are hopes that the situation might change and make affairs easy to get elephants here. However, there is no clarity on whether the cumbersome process of getting multiple approvals will be made easier or not.

Every year, elephants are included in the Bonalu, Muharram, Ayyappa puja festivities processions in the city. Temple trusts and organizations used to approach the Nehru Zoological Park used to permit Rajini – the elephant, which was experienced in participating in processions. However, since last few years, the officials are not permitting use of zoo elephants for processions, citing court orders.

Since then organizations are facing major challenges for getting elephants for conducting processions. Earlier, this year, Madhuri, an elephant from Kolhapur, Maharashtra was brought by the organizers to carry the Bibi –ka-Alam in a procession from Bibi-ka-Alawa to Masjid-e Ilahi grounds Chaderghat, covering a distance of around seven kilometres. The Telangana State Wakf Board sanctioned a budget of around Rs.4 lakh towards the rent, transportation and accommodation of the elephant, according to reports.