Terrified by tusker, villagers seek safety on rooftops in Odisha’s G. Udayagiri

Panic gripped Raipada village under G. Udayagiri block of Kandhamal district in Odisha as a tusker continues to roam in human settlements for the past eight days. This has forced families to stay locked indoors and, in many cases, take refuge on their rooftops. 

With the elephant refusing to leave the vicinity, several residents, especially women and children, have been spending the night on terraces, fearing an attack.

Rani Pradhan, a resident of Raipada, recounted her terrifying experience. “I had tied my cow in the shed when the elephant suddenly came charging at me. I turned around and saw it approaching aggressively. In desperation, I rushed to the terrace to save myself. The elephant went on to damage our kutcha house. Tonight, we have nowhere to sleep."

Livelihoods Hit, Hunger Grows

Residents living near the forest are unable to collect leaves or firewood due to the risk of elephant encounters, leading to serious economic distress.

“There are many elephants in our area. We rely on collecting leaves from the jungle to make plates, but we can’t go there now out of fear. This has severely affected our income, and many of us are going hungry,” said Sabita Nayak, a resident of Nandagiri.

Forest Department On Alert

The Forest Department has been trying to drive the elephant away, but without success so far.

 Forest guard Manoj Mahapatra said, "It has been eight days since the elephant started roaming in these areas. We are on high alert and closely monitoring its movement to prevent any casualties. We’re providing regular updates to the department."