DHENKANAL: Rise in incidents of man-animal conflict has taken a toll on human lives in Parjang block of the district. At least two persons were killed and three others sustained critical injuries in elephant attack during the last one week.
Demanding measures to check the menace, farmers, under the banner of Chasi Suraksha Manch, on Thursday staged a dharna in front of forest office at Parjang. They submitted a 10-point charter of demands, including job to the family members of deceased, compensation up to Rs 20 lakh for deceased family, aid up to Rs 10 lakh for the injured, construction of watchtower and putting up signage in elephant corridors. Movement of stray elephants from core forest areas towards human settlements has posed a threat to humans and also endangered the lives of the pachyderms. Several acres of paddy fields in the block have been damaged by elephants in the last 15 days, they said.
“Elephant attacks are becoming rampant in this area. Tuskers of the herds are on a rampage and have damaged many houses in the villages situated alongside forests,” locals alleged.
DFO Sudarshan Patra said, “We have asked the forest officials to track elephant movement in the area. Food scarcity in the winter, when there are no crops in the field, forces elephants to enter villages in search of fodder.”