ANGUL: Irked over frequent raids by a herd of elephants since the last more than a fortnight, residents of at least 20 villages in Banarpal block have threatened to hit the streets if the jumbos are not driven away from human settlements soon.
The affected villagers said though the elephants are wreaking havoc in the area since the last 20 days, the forest authorities have failed to address the problem. If the herd is not chased away soon, locals will resort to agitation and block NH-55 in protest.
Sources said the herd, comprising 46 elephants, entered Nuahata area of Banarpal on December 3 from neighbouring Dhenkanal district. Since then, the elephants are wreaking havoc in Narachandrapur, Gadsantri, Tulasipal, Languliabeda, Bandaa and several other villages.
Apart from destroying crops on vast tracts of farmland, the jumbos have also damaged houses in many villages. The pachyderms have so far killed two villagers and injured three others.
Tulasipal sarpanch Lokanath Sahoo said, “We are at the receiving end of the elephant herd which is causing large-scale destruction of crops and houses. The jumbos are not leaving the area as forest officials are adopting primitive methods to chase them away.”
Sahoo further said life has become miserable for locals as the electricity officials are cutting off power supply in the area due to the presence of the herd. Besides, some elephants are staying put near NH-55. If the animals are not driven away soon, the herd may disrupt traffic on the busy highway.
Talcher ranger Prabhat Rout said, “We are trying our best to drive the elephant herd back into Dhenkanal forests. Despite our efforts, the jumbos are returning to the area. A team is keeping a constant watch on the herd’s movement. Another attempt will be made to chase away the herd on Saturday.”