Kozhikode: In the wake of the tragic death of three elderly persons after elephants ran amok at a temple festival in Koyilandy, the district administration has banned all elephant processions in the district until February 21.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the District Captive Elephants Monitoring Committee on Friday, chaired by Additional District Magistrate Mohammed Rafeeq. The incident, which occurred on Thursday evening at Manakkulangara Temple near Koyilandy, also left around 30 people injured.

Consequently, the committee has revoked the temple’s license for conducting elephant processions, citing negligence and failure to adhere to stipulated safety guidelines. Assistant Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry Division) Satyaprabha stated that the temple authorities had conducted the procession irresponsibly, disregarding the regulations set by the monitoring committee.

The panel has also directed all temple authorities in the district to strictly comply with safety measures while organising elephant processions. Festival organisers must maintain the prescribed distance between elephants and the public throughout the event. Unregistered temples will not be permitted to conduct elephant processions, and any elephants used in such unauthorised events will be banned from future festivals. Additionally, considering the intense summer heat, festival organisers have been instructed to ensure sufficient water and shade for the elephants to prevent overheating.

The District Captive Elephants Monitoring Committee, chaired by the District Collector, with the Divisional Forest Officer (Social Forestry) as its convener, oversees the elephant-related activities in the district.