ADILABAD: In a span of just 24 hours, two farmers fell victim to a wild elephant while working in their fields in Kumurambheem Asifabad district. On Thursday, Karu Poshanna, 50, was killed around 5:30 am while he was watering his paddy crop in Kondapalli village of Penchkalpet mandal.
The day earlier, 55-year-old chilli farmer Alluri Shankar was killed by an elephant in Barrepally village of Chintalamanepalli mandal. The villagers say that they were not alerted about the presence of the jumbo and hence ventured out of their homes.
Following the deaths, Karu Poshanna’s family members and villagers protested in front of the gram panchayat office, demanding Rs 25 lakh as compensation and five acres of cultivated land.
Forest range officials and Kagaznagar DSP K Karunakar visited the spot upon receiving information. They assured the villagers that they would take up their demands with their higher-ups. After getting this assurance from the officials and the top cop, the villagers allowed the body to be shifted to the hospital for postmortem.
Forest staff, along with the field director of Kawal Tiger Reserve, S Shantaram, and police officials, have been monitoring the movement of the elephant which is believed to have migrated from Chhattisgarh to Maharashtra. Officials said that the elephant got separated from its herd and entered Chintalamanapalli mandal by crossing the Pranahita. In search of food and water, it entered the agricultural fields in the border villages.
Efforts are underway to divert the elephant towards Maharashtra.
The villagers say that they are not afraid of tigers as the big cats tend to move away if a group of farmers make a loud noise. However, elephants are an entirely different prospect altogether as they are scared of nothing.
Meanwhile, the district collector has enforced Section 144 in Chintalamanapelli, Penchikalpet, Bejjur and Koutala mandals to prevent further human loss.
Police have restricted movement towards Kondapalli and alerted people from surrounding mandals to avoid agricultural field work through announcements. DSP K Suresh too advised villagers to stay indoors and avoid going alone to the fields.
The government has announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for the two farmers.
Sirpur Kagaznagar constituency BJP MLA P Harish visited Barrepally village, expressing support for Shankar’s family and criticising forest officials’ negligence. He demanded compensation of Rs 20 lakh, similar to that provided in Maharashtra, along with a government job for a family member.
Meanwhile, the officials requested Forest Minister Konda Surekha and district in-charge Minister Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka) to visit the village and console the affected families.
Elsewhere, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Mohan Pargaien, advised the residents of nearby villages to not venture outdoors.
In a post on X, Pargaien said that messages from villages regarding the elephant’s presence are being used to track its movement. He wrote, “One of the most desired requirements under such conditions is responsive public behaviour by confining themselves into their houses”.
He informed that announcements are being made in nearby villages using drums and forest teams are also visiting the villages.“Hulla” parties — squads carrying lit torches and beating drums to drive away elephants — have been deployed, he added.
(With inputs from Navya Parvathy)