SRIKAKULAM: Tribals of several villages in Meliaputti mandal have been spending sleepless nights in the past few days after a herd of wild elephants has strayed into nearby tribal villages in search of food.
The villagers are even afraid of going to the fields or going about their daily tasks. During night time, the herd of pachyderms stays in the villages and destroys rice and other farm products stored in the huts.
About a week ago, the villagers spotted the herd entering the main road between Parlakhemundi and Pundi towns and have stopped stepping out of their huts. It may be noted since 2007, as many as 12 people were killed by the wild elephants across the district. Jumbos had destroyed crops in more than 250 hectare and 7,000 trees in various tribal villages in the district.
In view of the earlier instances, forest officials have intensified watches in nearby villages.
Srikakulam District Forest Officer Sandeep Krupakar said they have deployed two teams of elephants’ trackers and they have tracked the movements of the wild elephants. They are also alerting the tribal villages. Speaking to TNIE, he said they have been trying hard to drive them back to the reserve forest. He also appealed to the villagers not to irritate the pachyderms but help the forest officials in driving them back to the forest.