Boinda: For the villagers living in 15 panchayats close to Handapa range in Angul district, sleepless nights have become the ‘new normal’. They alleged that a marauding herd of elephants coming from Rairakhol forest is constantly terrorising them. Hence they cannot sleep at night fearing attack by the herd.
The villagers informed that a tusker in the herd has so far killed eight persons and the animals have destroyed standing crops on 1,017 farmlands in the last seven years.
Panic has affected the villagers to such an extent that even a rumour about the herd entering the area prevents them from venturing out after dusk.
“We are living in constant fear. The farmers are losing their hard-grown crops to these pachyderms. The tusker which has so far trampled eight villagers to death should be tranquilised and relocated to Nandankanan,” observed Pati Sahu, a villager of Kanteikulia village.
According to some villagers, the Handapa range, stretching over an area of 18,894 hectares, has 15 panchayats on its fringe. It has been a common practice of elephants to sneak into Handapa range from Rairakhol forest. Earlier they used to have enough food in the Handapa range. However, over the years the density of the range has substantially decreased due to the actions of the timber mafias and the forest department being not proactive. As the herd is not getting sufficient food in the Handapa range, it has been raiding the villages.
Those that have so far been killed by the tusker include Tara Biswal of Handapa village (February 27, 2014), Lochan Pradhan of Purunapani village and Taruni Dehury of Thelakanali village (May 3, 2016), Hadibandhu Rath of Kundali village (April 24, 2017), Manjulata Sahu (August 1, 2019) and Bidyadhar Sahu of Pratappur village (September 15, 2019), Bichitra Behera of Batrakhol village (December 26, 2019) and Debaki Behera (March 5, 2020).
Sources said, the herd has also destroyed 127 thatched and asbestos houses. During the same period, the elephants have damaged 592 acres of paddy crops and 265 acres of vegetables. It has also caused extensive damage to mango, banana and jackfruit trees planted in 160 acres.
Sujit Mohapatra, a villager of Rajanpal village, alleged the forest department officials are not doing patrolling regularly. “This apart, most of the villages have poor mobile network. So the villagers have problems in informing the officials about the movement of the elephants,” he said.
“The forest department is providing compensation to the affected families and farmers. However, that is not being done in a proper manner with many left out,” alleged the villagers.
Since the forest department has failed in protecting the lives and properties of the villagers, resentment is brewing among the residents of the affected areas.
When contacted, Handapa ranger, Chaitanya Behera said, “As people are destroying jungles, they are damaging the habitats and corridors of the elephants. So, in search of food, they often sneak into the villages. We are taking steps to drive away the elephants. We have dedicated teams for the job and we are also providing compensation.”
PNN