Keonjhar: As the elephant menace continues in many pockets of Keonjhar in this paddy harvesting season, farmers said they are not being paid adequate compensation. They said the forest department has failed to assess the damage.
Farmers demanded proper assessment of the crop damage and compensation. “Without the right amount of compensation how can we repay loans taken from banks and moneylenders,” they asked.
To make matters worse, a herd of 15 elephants extensively damaged paddy in Maidankel and a nearby village recently.
The elephants damaged even stocked paddy. At Deobandh, Shyamsundar Munda had harvested his paddy and had stocked it at his farm. Three days ago an elephant herd ate his harvested paddy, damaged plants and a farmhouse at Nelung. The animals also damaged vegetable plants.
Reports from Harichandanpur said the pachyderms damaged crops in Sunapentha panchayat and broke a tube well at a nearby primary school.
An elephant critically wounded two buffaloes of Sambhunath Sahu in the same area.
With elephants going on the rampage, people in these areas have panicked and voiced their anger over the ineffective steps of the forest department to contain the menace.
The farmers warned of a stir if the department does not assess damage properly and pays compensation.
A few weeks ago, an elephant herd damaged crops in 40 acres in Champua forest range. Angered by the damage, farmers staged protests at the Balibandh forest range office, demanding proper assessment and compensation.
Reports said elephants damaged crops in Brahmanijahri, Chipinda, Sanjoda, Jeypore, Naupani, Sanakalimati, Bamandiha and Purunapani of Malda panchayat.
Locals said elephants usually frequent the villages when harvest nears, but this year they damaged crops in the very beginning itself.
Some affected farmers filed a written complaint with officials of Balibandh range recently.
PNN