SAMBALPUR: People of different villages under Jamenkira block in Sambalpur district are having sleepless nights with a herd of six elephants wreaking havoc. Despite several attempts, they have failed to shoo away the herd. The villages are situated close to Badarama sanctuary.
Arjun Pradhan of Mudhenpali village was injured in an elephant attack on Wednesday night and admitted to VSS Medical College and Hospital, Burla.
“The elephants come down to the villages during harvest season and destroy standing crop,” said Gunamani Mirdha of Mudhenpali village. They have also smashed several houses at Kharsenmal, Mudhenpali and Jharmunda villages, he added.
“We are taking steps to drive the elephants deep into the forest,” DFO (Bamra WL division) LM Patra said. He attributed the problem to depleting forest cover.
“The elephants come out of the forest in search of food,” he said. A joint survey will be carried out to assess the damage caused by the elephants and the affected farmers compensated accordingly, he added.