Jaleswar: A herd of 17 elephants from Similipal sanctuary has become nightmare for residents of Raibania area under Jaleswar block of Balasore district for the last couple of days owing to the damage it is causing to the crops.
The herd has been damaging standing paddy crops, vegetables and banana plantations in Rasagobindpur, Kesarakha forest range areas, Ambatumba, Khirakolisahi, Prasadia, Luhapada localities under Raibania block.
“We were in distress after the lockdown and untimely rain-damaged our crops. Now when we were preparing to harvest whatever was left, the elephants are wreaking havoc,” said a local from Ambatumba.
Divisional Forest Officer of Balasore Biswaranjan Panda said that the elephants stay in the forests during daytime and enter into the fields at night. The animals do not leave the locality given their fondness for paddy, Panda said.
“When our teams chase the animals, they leave the paddy fields and move to the jungle. Later they again come back to the paddy field. We are keeping a close watch on the movement of jumbos,” he added.
Locals, meanwhile, alleged that the forest personnel do not pay heed to their requests to drive elephants away.