ROURKELA: The death of a 28-year-old youth in a wild elephant attack near Baribeda hamlet under Rourkela forest division’s Bisra range on October 23 has once again flagged the growing human-elephant conflict in the region. The retaliatory killing of elephants by angry villagers to protect their crops has only added to the challenge for the forest authorities, especially in the Bonai forest division.
In the past 10 months, about 14 persons have died in elephant attacks in the district. Rourkela DFO Jaswant Sethi confirms that in the past 10 months, four persons have died due to elephant attacks in Rourkela FD alone. If sources are to be believed, in the last five years, at least 33 elephants died in Sundargarh with Rourkela and the Bonai divisions reportedly accounting for 12 and 19 elephant deaths respectively. Two elephants had died in the Sundargarh division in that period.
A tusker, aged about 20 years, was electrocuted by live wires allegedly laid by a farmer at Oraghat of Koida range under Bonai forest division on the intervening night of October 14 and 15 to protect his crops. He was arrested later. The retaliation has been reported since the last one year. In September 2022, a group of villagers had killed an adult tusker in Banki range of Rourkela FD for frequently damaging crops. They used specially designed extra long spears for attacking the elephant.
In recent years, Bonai sub-division has seen multiple elephant deaths under mysterious circumstances of electrocution, poisoning and other reasons. But villagers taking out vengeance by killing elephants has only added to the worry of local forest authorities. Divisional forest officer (DFO) of Bonai Lalit Kumar Patra said necessary measures have been taken to create awareness among villagers to not cause any harm to elephants, intentionally or unintentionally.
Signage has been placed at above 75 points frequented by elephants with advice not to put up live wires. Elephant squad members are continuously monitoring the movement of elephants. Besides, steps are also being taken to fix sagging live wires, he added. The villagers are being additionally educated that under Wildlife (Protection) Act, they could be jailed for seven years for causing harm to the pachyderms.