Sundargarh: A herd of elephants was spotted near Biju Expressway at Gangajal village under Baragaon tehsil in Sundargarh district Sunday morning. The presence of the herd close to the expressway has affected road communication between Sambalpur and Rourkela on that stretch.
According to locals, the herd comprises of 10 to 15 elephants. The villagers spotted the animals and alerted the forest department officials fearing the safety of commuters on the expressway.
On being informed, forest department officials reached the spot to take stock of the situation. The district administration has enforced a partial restriction on movement on that stretch to ensure safety of motorists.
Fore department is keeping a close tab on the movement of elephants. Hundreds of vehicles, on both sides of the road, meanwhile continue to remain stranded.
The elephants often travel from one forest to another at night and take rest during daytime. This tendency of the animals makes the job of driving them out difficult for the forest department without collateral damage.
PNN