Champua/Jhumpura: Even as elephant menace continued unabated in Champua area of Keonjhar district, a tusker trampled two elderly persons to death at Rajia village Wednesday. Besides, a woman critically injured in the elephant attack is undergoing treatment at Champua hospital.
Angry over this incident, local people blocked the NH-20, demanding effective measures against the growing elephant menace.
According to reports, Premananda Nayak (55), the ward member of Dolita village, was out in the open to relieve himself in the wee hours of Wednesday when he was attacked by a tusker. He died on the spot.
Later, the marauding elephant attacked Benudhar Behera of the same village, leaving him critically injured. Behera was admitted to Champua sub-divisional hospital. He succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to the district headquarters hospital.
The same elephant attacked Surya Munda (23), a woman of Rajia. She escaped with injuries and was admitted to Champua hospital.
Administrative officials rushed to the spot of agitation and held talks with the protesters.
ACF Lugun Gorakh Oman, Champua SDPO Sushil Kumar Panigrahi, IIC Madhabananda Nayak, tehsildar Narayan Chandra Dhal, sarpanch Triban Munda, social activists Abhimanyu Mohant, Bulu Giri and Ganesh Khillar and local representatives sat across the table for sorting out the issue. The administration agreed to pay `10,000 each to the bereaved families from Red Cross Fund, `10,000 each for post-death rituals and `2,000 each under Harishchandra Yojana.
Elephants claimed 11 lives in the area since January. The menace is continuing in Rajia, Sashanga, Kainta, Patala and Kalikaprasad. PNN