Keonjhar: Panic grips people in Telkoi forest range area of Keonjhar division after a rise in elephant attacks as they stray into the human habitations in search of food. The herds are destroying people’s houses to eat stored paddy. Locals here are spending sleepless nights to protect their lives and property. In one such incident, a 5-member elephant herd raided the forest surrounding Mundasahi of Bena village under Telkoi forest beat at about 11pm Sunday night in search of food. They destroyed two houses in the village and allegedly ate up cash worth Rs 10,000 which was kept in gunny bags along with stored paddy. This has become a topic of discussion in the locality.
First the herd trampled and destroyed the banana farm of one Rabindra Patra of the said village. Then the herd destroyed the mud wall of the kutcha house and took the sack containing paddy outside and ate it. The elephant herd allegedly ate up the entire paddy stock along with the cash, which Rabindra had kept in that paddy sack. “We belong to a poor family. The herd has eaten the entire paddy along with `10,000 that my husband kept in the sack for future use. We want compensation for the loss,” Rabindra’s wife Kansala said. After that, the elephant herd broke Baburam Munda’s house, ate the paddy stock and damaged the kitchen utensils in the process. Both the families escaped to another place and saved their lives.
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Local people have demanded compensation and shelter for the victims. Telkoi forest range officer Shivaji Mohan Rao said, “We have already visited the place and paid compensation to the victims. We are verifying more details about the money allegedly eaten up by jumbos. We are keeping eyes on the movement of the elephant herd and trying to drive them into the forest area.” Wild elephants frequently come out of the forest to the human habitations on rainy days, destroy houses and eat the rice. Former sarpanch Ban Bihari Nayak demanded compensation and protection for the people.