Dhenkanal: A primary school here was abruptly closed Thursday after a herd of 40 elephants was sighted in a nearby mango orchard.
The authorities of the school at Sanabaulpur village under Odapada block asked the students to immediately leave for their homes.
Shivers ran down the spines of the villagers as the elephants trumpeted for long hours without moving for elsewhere.
Meanwhile, one of the animals got separated from the herd and made its way through Sudhadihakateni village and ransacked the defunct plant premises of Reliance Polyester Ltd.
The villagers informed the forest officials after the herd stay put in the orchard for long hours and refused to leave the place.
A team of forest officials rushed to the spot and managed to drive away the animal from the plant and bring it back to its herd.
Another team of forest officials and elephant squad members launched operations to drive away the herd from the orchard.
Later, in evening the herd left the orchard for Sadashivpur village passing through Sanabaulpur and Sudhadihakateni, forest ranger Ashok Kumar Bhanja said.
When contacted, assistant teacher Lakshmidhar Rout said he noticed the elephants in the orchard situated close to the school’s compound wall after he arrived at the school at 9 am. The students and teachers were in a state of shock after noticing such a large number of elephants near the school premises.
Rout immediately informed the cluster resources centre coordinator and closed down the school asking the students to leave for their homes. All teachers were present in the school during the period.
According to reports, the elephant herd recently strayed into Kotapal village near Brahmani riverbank and destroyed crops on large tracts of farmland. The crop damage had sparked tension in the region. PNN
