CUTTACK: The frightening sight of five elephants, including two calves, caught in the swirling waters of Mahanadi river near Cuttack grabbed eyeballs even as the Forest Department made a frantic effort to save the jumbos on Monday. However, it all ended well as the five jumbos managed to get out of the river after water release was controlled at Munduli and Naraj gates were opened. Pictures and videos of the flood-swept jumbos went viral on social media and TV channels.
Such was the current in the river that the jumbos passed through the flood gates and swept to a distance of over three to four kms as hundreds of people gathered along the barrage gates to watch the frightening scene. Sources said a herd of 16 to 25 elephants that had gone into Athagarh forest on Sunday night was crossing the river to return to Chandaka forest early in the morning.
As the Titli-induced heavy rain had led to a rise in water level, the jumbos were caught in swelling Mahanadi in the upstream of Munduli and swept away. Finding it difficult to get out of the water, they were swept away to a distance.
Locals intimated Athagarh Forest Division officials who reached the spot and launched a rescue operation. As the water flow was controlled at Munduli and four gates of Naraj barrage were opened by the administration, jumbos reached a shallow patch of the river.“While they were trying to swim across the river, the water flow suddenly increased which led to the incident. We had to close four gates of Munduli to reduce the flow of flood water and help elephants cross the river,” Chandaka Dampada Forest Ranger SK Mohanty told this paper.
While one calf reached the river bank at Anantpur, another came out of the river near Brajabiharpur. Two of the stranded elephants reached Athagarh but the rest had not returned yet. “While two of the five elephants have returned to Athagarh forest, the remaining three who crossed the river are yet to return to the forest due to presence of a large number of people near the river bank,” Mohanty said. “Efforts are on to disperse the crowd and send the elephants back to the sanctuary,” the Forest Ranger said.