Post News Network
Joda, Sept 19: Even as farmers in parts of Jhumpura block in Keonjhar are deeply worried over a looming drought scenario due to scanty rainfall, herds of marauding elephants are giving farmers in Champua range a tough time. The farmers are struggling to save their crops from the animals which are heading frequently to the paddy fields.
Locals and forest officials are meanwhile spending sleepless nights over the elephant mayhem. All their efforts to drive away the pachyderms are going in vain as the jumbos seem to be reluctant to go back to their natural habitat.
Locals said a large tract of paddy land was damaged by the elephant herd.
Sources said 77 elephants have been wreaking havoc on paddy crop, even as people are reportedly remaining indoors to save their lives.
A confrontational situation has broken out between a herd of 22 elephants and the villagers at Sunapasi.
”The villagers have raised the crop with much difficulty. When the crop is in growing stage, the elephants are damaging it. Forest officials are doing their best to scare the animals away from the areas but without much success,” locals said.
Poor tribals like Yudhistir Mohant, Nakfudi Mohant, Mangulau Mohant and Srigada Mohant rued the fact that they are all dependent on agriculture, but elephants have destroyed it all. “The elephant menace is growing by the day, notwithstanding all efforts to drive them back to forests,” they added.
The villagers stated that input cost in agriculture has gone up and that the extent of damage done by pachyderms cannot be compensated by the government. They have to suffer irretrievable loss as a result.
Apart from Sunapasi, several other tribals pockets like Mirigisinga, Mukundpur, Satahalia, Ramchandrapur, Raghualsahi and Saraspasi have to bear with depredation by the elephants. A herd of 32 elephants is on the move in these areas. Agriculture in other areas too has been affected — Nischintpur, Sanhundula, Deojhar, Trilochanpur, Binodbiharipur, Haridajoda, Kasia, Andharikhamana, Kaliapal, Gaduatopa and Malda.
“A herd of 15 elephants is causing mayhem in these areas,” said Champua ranger Srirampada Arabinda Mishra.
A forest department report says crop has been damaged in 102 acres of land. Sources said 40 forest officials have been engaged to drive away the elephants.
According to the report, three persons were killed while houses of five persons were damaged by elephants.
