Sore over ‘perennial’ jumbo mayhem, Odisha's Bonai people lay siege to road

Elephants often stray into human habitations in Bonai forest range of Sundargarh district. Two tuskers have allegedly been wreaking havoc in the area over the years, making the lives of the villagers miserable while the forest department is failing to contain the mayhem. 

Sore over the perennial problem, people of five villages Gogua, Jakeikala, Talita, Badaposh and Banghapali under Bonai range laid a siege to the Bonai-Jangla road on Tuesday in protest against apathy of the forest department. The road blockade on the Bonai-Jangla road disrupted communication on the route for some hours.   

As per reports, animals stray into villages almost every day, demolish houses and damage crops.  A woman lamented, “When I was asleep in my house, a tusker demolished my house. I somehow escaped safe.”

A villager of Godua alleged, “Entry of elephants in our village is a routine affair. Four houses were demolished by an elephant. We demand immediate compensation for the loss.”

The villagers alleged that the forest department is doing nothing to curb the elephant mayhem. 

Though the forest department has initiated measures to drive away the animals into the forests, the efforts of the department have become ineffective, alleged local residents.

However, no reaction of the forest department has been received.