Keonjhar: Panic gripped several low-lying villages under Bhuyan and Juanga Piddha forest ranges in Keonjhar district after wild elephants wreaked havoc by attacking villagers, destroying standing crops and damaging houses.
Sources said, the jumbos who are straying into human settlements in search of food, are getting attracted towards the ripen paddy crops. In these areas, the herds comprising of more than 15 elephants are sneaking into the low-lying villages and damaging the standing paddy crops on the agricultural lands.
Similar incidents of elephant menace has also been reported from Keonjhar Sadar Range area where one Baburam Munda (55) of Kadamadihi village under Bansapal block was trampled to death Sunday while he was guarding his crops, sitting over a treetop shackle on attack by a tusker.
Tuesday, the forest officials seized the body and sent it for post-mortem. They have also started an investigation into the matter.
According to reports, not only Bansapal block but other villages near the forest areas of Harichandanpur block have also adopted the same method of guarding their crops. Following this farmers are building treetop houses and risking their lives for their standing crops. The elephants are giving sleepless nights to the locals who are staying awake all night long to drive away the jumbos among other animals who are a threat to the standing crops.
Reportedly, there are more than hundreds of treetop houses in the low-lying areas of the jungle.
It may be worth mentioning here that Kadamdihi village and other nearby areas under Bhuyan and Juanga Pidhha forest range have been witnessing the elephant menace since a week. The jumbos are straying into the human habitations on a rampage thereby destroying standing crops after sunset.
Baburam, who was earning a living for his family by guarding his crop field was sitting on one of the tree houses when a tusker destroyed the shackle using its trunk and tusks. When the treetop house broke down, Baburam fell on the ground following which the tusker trampled him to death on the spot.
When Baburam didn’t return home for long, his family members who were on a frantic search went near his agricultural land only to find his lifeless body lying in a pool of blood Monday.
Though the forest officials rushed to spot on receipt of information, tension erupted in the area when they failed to identify the spot where the incident took place whether it comes under neighbouring-Sundargarh district or Keonjhar district.
However, when they later realised that the spot comes under Keonjhar district, they recovered the body and sent it to the district headquarters hospital for autopsy.
Meanwhile, locals alleged that even though winter has arrived and it is even more difficult for the farmers to guard their crops at night in freezing temperatures, forest officials are yet to take any effective measure to curb the jumbo menace.
They are not paying heed towards driving the wild animals away from the human settlements, the locals alleged.
The elephants have damaged acres of standing crops belonging to farmers- Akhaya Juanga, Kala Juanga, Haldhar Juanga, Anta Juanga, Dhir Juanga and Kailash Juanga of Kharda village under Harichandanpur block. However, no compensation has been granted to the affected farmers yet, it was alleged.
PNN
