The increasing frequency of chance encounters between people and elephants on road in the Rishikesh and Haridwar region has triggered widespread anxiety among locals.

The forest department is undertaking measures to avert damage to property and life but officials believe the problem will persist.

It advises the affected population to maintain more caution in their movements which they have not been doing in the recent past.

Over the last fortnight, there has been an increase in the number of incidents when elephants came on to the road disrupting traffic and causing damage to buildings and crops.

A few days ago, a child had a narrow escape when the two adults accompanying him in a car fled from an elephant which had come on to the road near Rishikesh leaving him behind. Luckily, the elephant did not hurt the minor or destroy the car.

Wildlife experts point out that the main reason behind change in elephant movements is lack of food in the forest area. Besides, most human settlements in the terai region have been established on what were traditional elephant routes.