BHUBANESWAR: A wild elephant went on a rampage in Khurda town damaging the boundary wall of a warehouse where electronic voting machines (EVMs) are stored.
The warehouse is located adjacent to the Khurda Collectorate. Officials said there has been no damage to the warehouse or the Collectorate.
Forest department officials said, the adult tusker, who roam alone without being attached to any herd, was moving from Jariput forest to Barunei forest. En route, the tusker went near the Collectorate and broke down the boundary wall of the warehouse late on Friday.
Later, it headed towards a park nearby creating panic among the local people. However, forest officials managed to chase it away from the place.
“The elephant has now moved to Barunei forest and members of the protection squad are tracking its movement,” said an official from Khurda forest division.
Growing human-elephant conflict has become a matter of concern for Khurda district in recent years.
Recently, a forester sustained injuries after being attacked by a tusker, separated from the herd, near the Ranpur range of the Khurda forest division.
The incident took place when the forester and his team were trying to drive the elephant away from entering human habitation in Upendrapur village on Wednesday night.
In November, a herd from Chandaka forests had also caused damage to the hospital compound wall of the Khurda district hospital.
Officials of the division said that protection squad members on the field are on alert as the movement of elephants near human habitations and crop fields usually remains high during the harvesting season.