Villagers in Siadimal and Dangarsahi areas of Balasore district fear to venture out of their homes even during the day. A herd of over 100 elephants, including tuskers from Jharkhand, has been wreaking havoc in the tribal-dominated villages here since Friday.
Forest officials in Mayurbhanj are worried as an elephant herd from Similipal which had damaged houses in the slums on the outskirt of Baripada town recently may march towards the urban areas anytime.
These are not stray cases. Hundreds of villages situated in border areas of the elephant corridors in North Odisha have been frequently experiencing elephant menace.
The elephant herd from Dalma sanctuary of Jharkhand which entered the State from West Bengal through Mayurbhanj forest last month is camping in Kuldiha reserve forest of Balasore. They had destroyed crops and properties in Mayurbhanj villages.
On Sunday, five forest guards were injured while trying to drive away the elephant herd. Apprehensive of attacks, the residents of Hatiasila, Tulasidiha, Bayarsahi, Tiakata, Chakamara, Bhalukasuni, Ambajhar, Chainder, Asabani, Radhakrushnapur, Kathapal and Pundal villages are spending sleepless nights. While the forest authorities blame the erratic behaviour of locals for the elephants’ violent nature, environmentalists claim rapid loss of habitat and corridors, large-scale poaching and ill-planned mining activities have led to man-elephant conflict in the State.
As per official reports, elephants have killed 28 persons in the last five years here while the conflict has led to the death of over 50 elephants in the same period. Similipal, the second largest tiger reserve of the country, has witnessed mass killing of elephants in the last couple of years. While in 2010 altogether 12 elephants were found dead, the number was 10 last year.
Honorary wildlife warden Vanoo Mitra Acharya said Rasgobindpur, Deuli, Sukruli, Chitrada, Thakurmunda and Betnoti areas in Mayurbhanj district and Nilagiri and Oupada areas of Balasore are the worst affected. “As the forest cover continues to dwindle in the State, the government has failed to contain this conflict,” he pointed out.
Officials admit that the corridors in the State which helped the animals move from one place to another are fast depleting, posing a threat to their survival.
While the elephants have damaged over 600 houses in both Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts in the last five years, crops in over 1,000 hectares have been destroyed besides properties worth a few crores. Though the government compensates the victims, they alleged it is very less than the quantum of destruction.