CUTTACK: A herd of 18 elephants have been creating havoc in Choudwar area of the district for the last two weeks.
The jumbos of different age groups are said to have strayed into forest areas of Choudwar from Kapilas forest in search of food.
Residents of Agarhat, Banipada, Shankarpur, Badasamatarapur, Indranipatana and Kayalpada panchayats are spending sleepless nights with elephants often coming to their villages and destroying the standing crops and properties.
On Monday, two elephants separated from the herd had obstructed vehicular traffic on NH-55 near Gopalpur for about three hours. The forest officials and police had to take a tough task to drive away the elephants from the NH.
Locals were panicked after the elephants entered into Bada Bazaar area on Wednesday night and went went on a rampage destroying standing crops.
The wild jumbos had also made an incursion on industrial units in Choudwar and created panic in the locality by damaging boundary walls of some factories.
Similarly, four jumbos separated from the herd had strayed into human settlements in Agrahat panchayat and destroyed standing paddy and vegetable crops in the localities on Friday night.
“The elephants are damaging our crops and properties. We are scared to go out after evening,” said Narahari Behera, a resident of Agrahat.
“Night patrolling is being conducted. The elephants are now in Agrahat cashew field. The villagers have been alerted and efforts are on drive them away from human habitations,” said Cuttack DFO Sudarsan Patra.