Baripada: There is no let-up in elephant menace in the Karanjia and Betanoti ranges of Mayurbhanj district. People inhabiting the forested villages under the two ranges have been spending sleepless nights since a herd of 17 elephants from neighbouring Jharkhand strayed into the district.
During the last two days, the animals have wreaked havoc in various areas. They have damaged a mango orchard sprawling over 35 acres under Betanoti range. The herd, after causing damage in Champua range in Keonjhar, was holed up in Dudhiani reserve forest under Karanjia.
People in these areas are panicked. “The animals stray into our villages after sunset in search of food and destroy fruit trees and vegetable crops. Earlier too, the elephants had caused mayhem in many villages,” locals said.
The Forest department is keeping track of the marauding jumbos while efforts are on to drive them back into Jharkhand, said Saroj Kumar Panda, the range officer. A herd of 19 elephants went on a rampage in Batanoti range and are still on a damaging spree.
As farmlands are now without crops, the animals enter human habitations routinely to feed on fruits like mango and jackfruits, but sometimes they also damage houses and vegetables.
Worried over the elephant menace, locals have demanded compensation for the losses and an immediate drive to push the animals out of the area. They also demanded that the department should take effective steps to contain the mayhem in their areas.
PNN
