Dhenkanal: Elephant menace and man-animal conflict have reached an alarming level in this district. This is because shortage of food is forcing elephants from other places to come to this district. The Forest department has implemented over half-dozen programmes to control the elephant menace, but all have failed. Elephants in search of food are entering Dhenkanal district and destroying crops and properties worth crores.
Officials said Dhenkanal district ranks second in Odisha in elephant population after Similipal National Park. The district currently has over 300 elephants, half of which come from the jungles of Athagarh forest division in Cuttack district as well as Jajpur, Keonjhar and Angul districts. Remainder of the tuskers is from Chandaka jungle in Khurda district.
As paddy harvesting is about to end, elephants from outside are entering this district in search of food. The animals turn violent whenever they face any obstacle. The elephants can regularly be seen on National Highway No 5. After drinking water from the Brahmani river, the animals enter farmlands and backyards of villagers and destroy crops and also on many occasions attack people.
However, in search of food, the elephants put their lives also in danger. On many occasions they are seen frequenting the railway tracks that run through the district. The frequent movement of the elephant herds has become a headache for Forest department officials. They are at a loss as to how to control the rampaging jumbos who are not only damaging and destroying crops and properties, but at times, are attacking and killing people.
Staff shortage has also affected the work of the department. According to residents in the district, neither the Centre nor the Odisha government is making a serious effort to control the elephant menace. The Forest department, except for preparing reports on loss of lives and properties, has failed to do its bit to contain the problem.
As a result, elephant menace is rapidly turning into an alarming situation. People these days tend to take the law into their own hands whenever, they see a wild elephant, officials said. When contacted, divisional forest officer (DFO) Prakash Chand Gogineni said that they are not worried about the presence of elephants who permanently stay in Dhenkanal district. It is the tuskers from other regions that are causing all the problems, he informed. Gogineni stated that it is easy to track the movement of elephants that belong to the district.
However, those from outside create the maximum problem, he added. The elephants move from village to village after consuming food. Officials said Tuesday that a herd of 50 elephants from Dhenkanal has strayed into neighbouring Angul district after they found farmlands near Mahabirod and Parjang protected by solar fencing wires.