A herd of nine wild elephants is on a rampage at places like Chandil and Kanderbera in the Seraikela-Kharsawan district.
The herd, which has come from Chaibasa forest, has destroyed as many as eight houses in Dobo, Pardih, Kanderbera and Chandil during the past one week. Apart from damaging houses, the elephants have also destroyed over five acres of paddy crops in these areas.
Forest range officer Ashok Kumar said that the period from October to March is migration period of wild elephants. Ergo, they had engaged a team of mahouts from Palna near Chandil for keeping the elephants away from the human habitats.
"However, due to Tusu festival,which is to begin from January 15, all the mahouts abandoned their work and returned home, leaving the villages falling under Chandil forest range at the mercy of the migratory elephants," said Kumar.
The ranger officer pointed out in the wee hours today that the elephants’ herd has damaged two houses at Dharnigora village near Dobo and destroyed two acres of paddy field. Villagers were just silent spectators as the wild elephants were on a rampage at Dharnigora. Kumar said that to confront this meance, he had sent message to the Mahouts to return to their work.
Due to this, People are living in a state of fear. Sometimes, villagers migrate to safer places for a week or more to avoid the sudden night-time attacks of the wild elephant herds.
