Over 50 Elephants Damage Crops In Odisha Village, Locals Blame Forest Staff

Dhenkanal: Over 55 wild elephants have been causing extensive damage to standing crops in Gadasila village under Odapada block in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district. The affected villagers have blamed the forest department for inaction.

According to sources, the elephant herd has been camping near Gadasila village for more than 10 days and damaging paddy and other crops in the locality. In the last 10 days, they have destroyed crops and vegetables in more than 100 acres of field, the villagers rued.

After their repeated attempts to drive away the elephants turned futile, the aggrieved locals reportedly urged the forest department officials to help them. But forest staff too failed to drive away the jumbos, much to the dismay of the villagers.

“The elephants have damaged standing crops, including paddy and vegetables, in last 10 days. They have disrupted our farming activities, leading to considerable financial losses. We have been desperately trying to drive them away. Since their number is around 55, we are too scared to enter the crop fields, where they have been camping,” said a villager.

He further said, “We requested the forest staff to help us get rid of the elephants and save our crop fields. But they have miserably failed. Being farmers, we have no option but to eke out our living from cultivation. The elephants have ruined our standing paddy crop and vegetables.”

Forest department sources clarified they have made all possible efforts to drive away the herd. But a female elephant seemed to have delivered a baby and the group has been protecting the mother and calf from outsiders. Once the baby elephant is fit to walk into the forests with the herd, they may leave the locality.

Meanwhile, the affected villagers have sought assistance from the district administration and state government to help them drive away the elephants from their locality. They have also demanded compensation from the government as the elephants have damaged paddy crop and other vegetables in more than 100 acres of land.

Worth mentioning, Dhenkanal is one of the most affected districts in Odisha, where elephants regularly cause damage to crop fields and attack human beings. There have been numerous such instances in the past. Despite several measures by the government, including introduction of elephant corridors, ‘kumki’ training and providing special training to locals to drive away elephants, there has been little respite from jumbo menace and man-elephant conflict in many districts of Odisha, with Dhenkanal topping the chart.