1-crore property lost to jumbos in 3 months

An elephant herd has damaged property worth Rs 1 crore in Dasmantpur and Laxmipur forest range under Koraput forest division in the last three months.

Official sources said a herd of eight elephants has been moving around Padampur, Panaspur, Purimunda, Bausaguda, Malibijodi, Pakonodla and Tallimika villages for some time now.

In the last three months, the animals damaged as many as 20 houses and crops in over 185 acres of land.

Although the damage is estimated to be around Rs 1 crore, the forest officials paid about ` 10,000 each to the affected villagers.

Sources said the herd that originally belongs to the forests of Rampur-Madanpur in Kalahandi district, had strayed into Koraput forests from the neighbouring Nabarangpur in 2010.

They entered Borrigumma block in Koraput while passing through Muran dam and since then, are being frequently seen near Borrigumma and Dasmantpur forests. Last year, a tribal was trampled to death in Dasmantpur.

Meanwhile, the forest officials have appealed to the villagers to inform them  about movement of the elephants.