Elephant herd on rampage, Odisha’s Mayurbhanj residents

BARIPADA: Forest personnel of Karanjia division in Mayurbhanj district are struggling to drive away a herd of 27 elephants from Jharkhand that has been causing problems for the local population for over a month. The elephants have been ravaging property in Dudhiani range and surrounding villages since their arrival on June 8.

Forest department officials and security personnel, along with the residents, are spending sleepless nights as the herd shows no signs of returning to its natural habitat. Residents blame the Forest department for failing to implement effective measures to drive the elephants back, leading to continuous disturbances.

Affected residents demanded the department to take action to drive the herd and pay them proper compensation. They reported that some houses were partially damaged by the elephants. Although officials have been notified and instructed victims to upload photos of the damage and other documents via the ‘Anukampa’ app, the compensation provided by the government has been insufficientm they said. The residents also urged the department to adequately address their losses.

More than 20 villages in and around the Dudhiani range have been living in fear since June 8, when the herd crossed the Baitarani river from Keonjhar and began causing havoc.

DFO Subrat Patra told TNIE on Thursday that the 27 elephants are currently roaming in the Dari forest under the Dudhiani range. He confirmed that three houses were partly damaged.

“A special team of at least 10 staff members, along with 12 security personnel from the Dudhiani range, regularly monitor the herd’s movements and work in shifts. To prevent further incidents and ensure the safety of residents, the forest department has coordinated with the power supply department to prioritise making the locality dark at night, aiding in tracking the herd’s movements,” he added.