Thuamul Rampur: A tusker damaged paddy crops, kitchen gardens and a thatched house in Taragundi village under Kerpai gram panchayat of Thuamul Rampur block in Kalahandi district Tuesday, while its continued presence in the area has triggered concern among residents along the Kalahandi-Rayagada border.
According to reports, elephant entered the village Friday night, October 2, and damaged crops and vegetation before destroying a thatched house belonging to Gopal Majhi, located about 200 meters from the village.
The tusker was spotted near paddy fields close to Majhipada in Dumerpadar Monday evening.
Its presence was later traced to the Dumerpadar forest near the border around 5 pm Tuesday. The elephant is still in the area, raising concerns among villagers, although no fresh damage was reported, forest officials said.
Officials of the Rayagada forest division and Thuamul Rampur forest range are jointly monitoring the elephant’s movements, while forest personnel have been kept on alert, officials said.
