Buguda: A herd of ten elephants and wild boars created havoc in Buguda area of Ganjam district causing extensive damage to standing crops across scores of hectares of farmland.
According to sources, more than 50 villagers are living in constant fear. The forest department failed to prevent the heard from entering the villages. Villagers have lost their cultivated paddy on hectares of land.
A report said the herd might have migrated from Khurda, Nayagarh and Gajalbadi jungles. It stays in the jungle during the day and causes damage to the crops during the night.
The elephants have caused damages to crops in the villages including Manitara, Mangalpur, Botarsangi and Solandi. The jumbos did not cause damage to life, report said. Villagers have urged the forest department to assess the loss of the affected farmers.
Forest officer Fakir Charan Behera said their personnel are keeping a strict vigil on the movement of the herd and are trying to drive away the elephant herd and wild boars. Further, he said farmers will be compensated in accordance with government provision.
