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Nov 27, 2023

Jumbos from Jharkhand wreak havoc in Odisha

Elephants from Jharkhand that strayed into Baripada district continue to wreak havoc in villages under Raruan block. Published: 04th August 2019 06:38 AM | Last Updated: 04th August 2019 06:38 AM |

Elephants from Jharkhand that strayed into Baripada district continue to wreak havoc in villages under Raruan block.

Published: 04th August 2019 06:38 AM | Last Updated: 04th August 2019 06:38 AM | A+A A-

A house damaged by elephants in Jhumkapal village on Friday (Photo |EPS)

BARIPADA: Elephants from Jharkhand that strayed into Baripada district continue to wreak havoc in villages under Raruan block. The herd of 22 elephants comprising five tuskers, nine female elephants and eight calves entered the forests under Karanjia forest division in Raruan block last week and since then, the animals have been destroying houses and eating away harvested crops. While the elephants remain confined to Jamunti, Jadipada and Kujiham forests in the mornings, they move into human habitations in the evening.

People have been spending sleepless nights burning tyres and wood and beating drums to keep the jumbos away from human habitations. However, the measures seem to be of little help. On Friday night, the herd damaged house of one Ganesh Karua in Jhumkapal village. Ganesh and his family members had a narrow escape as they rushed out of the house on time.

The elephants then proceeded towards another one-room house of Ganesh where he had kept his rice-huller machine and stocked harvested paddy and maize. The animals not only damaged the house but also consumed the food stock. They also damaged harvested paddy stocked in the houses of Basanta Patra and Goutam Mahakud.

Another villager, Sunaram Moharana said the elephants have been causing extensive damage to paddy fields during their movement from one place to other. While forest officials of the district are on their toes to drive the animals away, people in villages bordering Jharkhand are obstructing their movement to Dalma forest in the neighbouring State. Villages wear a deserted look and vehicular communication within the block comes to a standstill in the evening with people preferring to remain indoors.

Forester Chandrabhanu Mohanta said the elephant herd is now in Khujiam forest and the extent of damage can only be known after the animals leave Raruan block. No reports of human injury or casualty due to elephant attack has been reported so far. Members of Sabuja Bahini, along with forest staff, have been engaged to drive the elephants out of the block. Villagers have been asked not to stock ‘handia’ and ‘mahua’ in their houses as these attract the elephants.