An elephant stands in Gandak river during Sonepur Mela. Telegraph picture

Patna, Nov. 9: Sonepur Mela, which got underway today, has been notorious for illegal elephant trade. Keeping this in view, the state environment and forests department has made elaborate arrangements to put effective check on the illegal practice in the month-long fair this year.

The fair has a tradition of elephant trade and a special area is earmarked on the bank of river Gandak where elephants are put on display. Though the participating owners do not indulge in trading activities publicly, there had been reports of elephants exchanging hands clandestinely in the fair.

“The department is fully prepared to book persons who dare to violate the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (as amended in 2006), by indulging in elephant trade. Field officials, including the regional chief conservator of forest, have already been directed to keep a tight vigil during the course of the fair,” Bihar chief wildlife warden D.K. Shukla told The Telegraph.

According to provisions of the act, elephant trade is a punishable offence. The act has stringent provisions and it also prohibits change of ownership of elephants through donation, a veil, which was being used by some unscrupulous people for trading elephants. The only way to get the ownership of an elephant is through inheritance.

The environment and forests department has also taken steps for putting effective check on traders from Assam, who are notorious for capturing wild elephants and bring it to the fair for trade purpose.

“I have put a precondition for giving no-objection certificates to elephant owners from other states. For that they would have to give an affidavit that they would return to their native state within three months and the chief wildlife warden of the originating state would have to certify the affidavit,” Shukla said, adding that three applicants from Assam had turned up for seeking no-objection certificate from Bihar but as the Assam chief wildlife warden refused to accept the condition put up by Bihar, the applicants didn’t turn up again.

The environment and forest department is also working in close co-operation with wildlife crime control bureau for keeping track on those who try to enter the state illegally.

The efforts of the department has been reflected in terms of decreasing number of elephants, which have been put on display in the fair in the past few years. According to reports reaching the state headquarters, 27 elephants had arrived in the fair till Wednesday afternoon.