ROURKELA: Amid rising incidents of man-elephant conflict in the State, a farmer was killed by a jumbo in Bisra range of Rourkela Forest Division (RFD) in Sundargarh district on the wee-hours of Sunday. Villagers living in areas under the RFD limits are the worst victims of elephant depredation, especially by a herd of Kuanrmunda range which alone accounts for at least six of the 11 human casualties this year.
As per reports, the victim farmer, identified as Lucas Munda (46), was trampled to death by an elephant at about 2.10 am at Jharbera village of Bisra range. Rourkela Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) JK Mohanty said the same herd was involved in the killing of the farmer. The herd’s strength has risen to seven with reunion of two lost members, he said.
A drive to chase away the elephants was underway in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday when the herd moved towards Jharbera village. Munda was coming out of his house when he encountered one of the elephants, Mohanty said.
Regional Chief Conservator of Forest (RCCF) Lingaraj Otta said the villagers had been apprised about the movement of the elephants, but unfortunately the human casualty occurred. “We are analysing the behaviour of the herd in which a sub-adult female elephant is showing violent tendency,” he said.
Otta further informed that the Forest department is simultaneously educating villagers on precautionary measures and trying to keep the giant animals at a safe distance to reduce chances of man-elephant conflict.
Forest officials said it was not clear whether the particular sub-adult elephant was responsible for the killing of Munda at Jharbera. Meanwhile, villagers and forest officials of RFD continue to be on the tenterhooks with frequent intrusions of wild elephants in search of food.
The ACF said the ‘murderous herd’ is holed up in the nearby forest of Bisra while another herd of 17 elephants is present in Rudukupedi forest of Kuanrmunda range. Moreover, the herd of 22 elephants, which is responsible for collapse of the iron wire fencing of K Balang police station, demolition of outer concrete shed of CRPF barrack and boundary wall of K Balang school, is also holed up in the forest near
Roxy of Banki range. Peeved at the elephants for raiding their standing crops, villagers of Banki range had electrocuted a sub-adult elephant on October 30. Subsequently, two villagers were arrested in this connection.