Elephant menace has become a perennial problem in the border pockets of Birmitrapur Assembly segment in Sundargarh district.
A herd strayed into the district from the adjacent Jharkhand forest two years back and is frequently raiding human habitations. The animals have not only been damaging crops and houses, but also injuring scores of people.
Villagers said the herd wreaked havoc on Monday night by destroying many thatched houses in Talsara village of Birmitrapur forest range and feasted on stocked paddy grains.
Birmitrapur range officer Johan Oram said the herd comprising four calves, four adolescent elephants and as many adult females were earlier driven away from the area, but they reappeared at the nearby Sagbeda area on Wednesday. To make things worse, villagers seem to have no respite from the menace with wary forest officials of Jharkhand not allowing the elephants to return to their forest.
From 2011 to till date, at least three persons have been killed and several houses and crops damaged by the animals. In this period, compensation to the tune of Rs 16 lakh has been provided to the affected families in Birmitrapur and Kuanrmunda forest ranges.
Environmentalists said due to availability of forest cover, fodder and water the herd is changing locations. Storage of ‘handia’, ripe jack fruit and food grains in tribal households are inducing them to attack houses.
Recently, the same herd had twice sneaked into the areas on the outskirts of Rourkela city by crossing the river Brahmani.
Rourkela DFO Bhagawan Pati said the department is tracking the movement of elephants and adopting all possible means to keep them at a safe distance. He said due to loss of natural habitats the animals have turned intrusive.
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