Berhampur: A herd of 32 wild elephants has returned to unleash a reign of terror in Ganjam district once again sending shockwaves among villagers and putting the Forest Department officials in a tizzy.
During three days, a herd of 22 elephants were entered into the Palur area of Ganjam block and created nuisance in the paddy fields. They have damaged rice fields in the village of Podagada, Jhatipadar, N. Barapalli on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. Drought scared Ganjam block farmers worried a lot for deficient rain, while the tyranny of wild elephants haunted them excessively.
Sources said the herd of 12 jumbos had been driven away by the district administration only four months ago after the pachyderms created nuisance at Subalaya, Bahadapalli, Satrusole, Sana Ramchandrapur, Burudi, Bahadapalli, Biruligada, Madhurchua, Diandei, Panasadiha, Rambha, Ranidara, Palang, Balarampur, Khandadeuli, Poirasi, Ambilijhara, B Kainchapur, Jagannathpur, Sana Gopalpur, Lauput, Kushapalli, Satuli, Malada, Borigaon, Kalajamuna and Ganjam areas. One Rabindra Kumar Behera, a farmer of the Rambha, was trampled by the jumbos triggering a strike and road blockade on NH-5 by the irate villagers.
However, after a lull of four months, again the elephants have strayed from Chandaka Reserve Forest through the Khallikote forest range. As most of the jungle areas are now narrower than before due to the encroachment by the land mafias and wood mafias with fodder availability decreasing in forests, the tuskers are forced to stray putting the common people in trouble, sources said.
At first 14 elephants were come to Ganjam area in 2007-08, which is reached to 32 now. They were not so wild before, as now they are entering into the human habitations, village areas, paddy fields. The areas of Ganjam block like H. Burudi, Rambha, Madhurchua, Diandei, Kantapada, Satuli, Kujidhepa, Malada, Lunghuri are well known for vegetable production were hit by the nuisance work of wild jumbos. The herd enters to the paddy or vegetable fields in search of food, while searching and eating the food they damage the crop.
Sometimes villagers face the wild elephants to drive them away from their human habitation. Human-elephant fight starts for existence. During these years, five persons were killed while ten were injured in the attack of wild elephants.
“Government has proposed to make a 200 meter trench near Barbara jungle in Buguda forest range to keep the wild elephants there, but that could not see the light. Even the ‘Operation Gajanana’ started by the district administration to drive away the wild jumbos was not quite successful, as the jumbos back again to the vulnerable areas of Ganjam block”, said Ganjam block Chairman Surath Pahan to The Pioneer on Wednesday.
The behaviour of the wild elephants is changing as a result, they are becoming very wild. They are crossing the railway level-crossing to enter the areas consisting of Subalaya and Palur Panchayat, which was not seen before. Some villagers from Podagada, Raghunathpur, Gabudi and other villages told on Tuesday that the elephants were entered to their rice field and damaged their planted crops.
“There is no co-ordination between Wildlife and Regular Forest officials. The forest side of the level crossing comes under the responsibility of Regular Forest, while the other side of the level crossing is coming under Wildlife. Though some forest officials are trying to drive away the wild jumbos, still it is not the panacea”, Pahan added.
A meeting was organized in Subalaya village under Rambha police station of Ganjam block to discuss about this matter with the active presence of Chatrapur MLA Adikanda Sethi, Ganjam block Chairman Surath Pahan, Sarapanchs of Subalaya and Ramagada Gram Panchayat and other village heads of nearby villages of three Panchayats on Sunday. After the meeting, the elective representatives with local people have met the Ganjam Collector Krishan Kumar to draw his attention on this matter. The collector has given assurance to the villagers that he will look into the matter and take necessary steps to curb the problem, which created a headache for the farmers of the area.
When we contacted with the DFO of Berhampur Forest Division AK Jena, he told that efforts are on. We are trying to drive away the pachyderms from the paddy fields and human habitations of Ganjam area. We have created a team consisting of 15 members to drive away the wild elephants from the area. It is not the problem of Ganjam block only, now it’s a problem for Odisha as well as India. Government is planning to engage trained elephants and mahouts to drive away the wild jumbos from the affected village areas of Ganjam. It’s impossible to give a radical solution to this matter, as people are demanding.
“Government had declared compensation for the farmers, who had lost their crops during the movements of wild jumbos in their paddy fields, which is not yet reached at the people. The people demanded that they don’t need compensation, they need permanent solution”, told the farmers of Burudi area.
“Due to these wild elephants, not only they are damaging the paddy fields but also the people could not walk away freely from their home after evening 5 pm, even they could not go out for the market in the evening time fearing these animals’, told the villagers of Podagada of Palur area.
It may be noted that, in the last Kharif season, a pachyderm herd had destroyed the paddy seedlings in a huge acre of fields near Satuli and Borigaon besides in a cluster of villages under Ganjam block. The villagers had given a memorandum to the DFO for a solution to the menace after eight persons were killed and many more were left injured in the jumbo attacks. Many thatched houses and paddy fields were damaged by the wild animals too.
“The sowing has completed, it is the time of growing. If the elephants keep creating nuisance, then the crop will be damaged. The Government should apply a planned strategy to chase away the pachyderms from the paddy areas, otherwise people will again start agitation and strike”, many farmers demanded.
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