Bonai/Binika: A herd of wild elephants created havoc in Bonai area under Jarada forest range in Sundargarh district on Sunday. The animals have caused enormous damages to the standing crops at Lachhada, Kundeidiha, Tankasahi, Balia areas in the district.
Locals said that the herd has stayed at Barghat forest area and sneaked into the human settlement during night hour.
Around 25 to 30 jumbos have created terror among the residents of around five to six villages in Jarada forest range. Their movement from one place to another has resulted in harm to crops during the harvesting season. The villagers alleged that no forest official has come to their rescue even after their repeated complaints.
“To guard our crops, we are spending sleepless night everyday. We are unable to disperse the big animals when more numbers of elephants go on rampage. We tried our best to protect our fields. The forest officials should lend helping hands in this regard,” a farmer said.
In separate incident, the residents in Binika area of Sonepur have also been facing the wrath of the wild elephants for the last 11 days. They said that they have been in a state panic for last few days as a heard of around 30 elephants have regularly caused extensive damage to the crops and thatched houses at Jharapada Sindurpur, Ganeshpur, Keutapada villages under Binika block.
The pachyderms have stayed in Ulunda forest in the day time and entered the human habitation after the sunset, locals said.
The residents have been spending sleepless night for the last 11 days to guard their crops and houses. They requested the forest officials to deploy special forces to drive away the animals from the human settlement.