Post News Network
Joda, Sept 7: People residing in villages under Champua forest range in Keonjhar district have been spending sleepless nights for the last 45 days as about 82 elephants are on a rampage in the region, damaging crops and claiming human lives. In the latest incident of elephant attack, Chaitanya Behera (62) of Anseikkala village was trampled to death by a jumbo Monday.
The marauding jumbos have so far claimed two lives while destroying crops in over 85 acre and flattening four houses in the region, said Champua forest ranger Srirampad Arabind Mishra Monday.
Things have come to such a pass that after dusk descends, people fear to venture out of their homes fearing for their lives as the pachyderms have been unleashing a reign of terror. Even during daytime, people prefer to move around in groups.
Fifteen elephants are roaming in Adangapal, 53 in Mirigisinga, two tuskers in Rajia and Haridajodi, 15 in Kanakana and seven in Kaliapala area, the ranger said. The elephants in Kanakana and Kaliapala are from Keonjhar district while the rest strayed into the areas from neighbouring Mayurbhanj district and Jharkhand, he added.
A tusker spotted in Haridajodi has killed two persons September 4. The victims were identified as Goracharan Pradhan of Parsala village and Sarandia Munda of Sanahundula village.
Locals claimed that the elephants have destroyed crops over 3.34 acre of land of Prasant Mahakur in Satahalia village, 1.83 acre of Surendra Mohanta in Kainta village, 1.10 acre of Prabhunanda Nayak in Mukundpur village and 1 .32 acre of Padmacharan Barik in Chimila village. The herd has similarly pulled down the houses of Haridas Munda in Chimila and Sushil Kumar Behera in Banka, forest officials said.
According to latest information, a herd of 53 elephants has strayed into Asheikala, Dampur, Kutaripasi, Putugaon and Kanpur villages crossing the river Baitarani.
The forest department has formed four teams consisting of 35 squads to drive away the elephants. The squads have been given four vehicles, lights and firecrackers to drive away the herd but that has failed to make any impact, locals claimed.
According to reports, earlier the elephant herds had destroyed crops over 200 acre in Champua and Barbil forest range.