Jumbo herd wreaks havoc in villages

SAMBALPUR: Wild elephants are giving sleepless nights to people living in villages on the Sambalpur-Jharsuguda border. The animals are staying inside forest during the day and entering villages at night.

A herd of 40 elephants has destroyed more than 15 houses and devoured huge quantities of paddy and rice kept inside the house over the past one week.

Their activities have panicked the villagers of Bagadihi, Panpali, Kuturuchuan, Baghiaberna, Damamunda, Purunapani, Budulapali Lariapali and Bairagiguda.

Villages in Sambalpur's Kuchinda block and Jharsuguda's Kolabira block are close to dense forests.

"My family members ran for their lives after hearing the sound of elephants which entered the house by damaging the walls. We took shelter in another house till morning. We no longer feel safe in the village," said Bidyadhar Pradhan of Kuturachuan village.

He said the pachyderms have not only damaged his house but also destroyed paddy and rice kept inside.

The elephants have also destroyed our vegetable garden, he added.

Forest officials said the jumbos enter paddy fields during the harvest season. Now they are entering villages in search of food as paddy has already been harvested and the fields are empty, they said.

"Since villages are close to the forest, elephants are wreaking havoc for the past one week. We are planning to chase them into the dense forest," said ranger of Kuchinda forest range Hrusikesh Baag.

"We are also assessing the damage to compensate the villagers", he said, adding that the elephants are now camping in the forest near Purnapani.