A herd of 8 elephants having 2 calves has unleashed decay and destruction of the standing paddy crops under the Bareysanr range of the tiger reserve Palamu. 

Deputy director south division of the PTR Kumar Ashish said there are reports of a large scale of destruction of the paddy cultivation under this range. 

Incharge range officer Bareysanr Tarun Kumar Singh said the herd of the elephants is no any outsider but of the tiger reserve Palamu itself. 

The herd of the elephants is descending soon after the sunset and is plundering paddy cultivation till late night. 

Kumar Ashish said "It's a matter of consolation that the herd of the elephants has not been in direct confrontation with humans."

There is no report of any human casualty by the elephants. 

Likewise the elephants are just glued to the paddy cultivation, it has so far not damaged or destroyed any hut or house. 

On being asked if the ongoing strike of the forest guards has affected the elephant management to which Ashish said "The strike of the FGs has definitely affected the PTR. Forest guards are off the reserve."

He said "We are making do with the trackers. But absence of the FGs matters most."

Ashish added "We have asked the trackers to take mitigative measures in the event of the destruction of the paddy cultivation as farmers suffer economic ruination."

"A farmer can bear many things but when his standing cultivation is lost he feels saddened to the level of losing his son" said a paddy grower of the Bareysanr range of the tiger reserve Palamu. 

Assessment of the damaged and destroyed  paddy cultivation by the PTR team is set to be delayed in the wake of the strike of the FGs. 

It's the FGs who used to first visit and scan the extent of the damages and destruction of cultivation or house etc and thereafter the role of the CO used to begin to ascertain the khatyani land rights, its 'rakba of destruction and damages etc'. 

All these exercises are for the initiation of the crop compensation to be paid by the PTR. 

There are 110 FGs in the PTR and around 300 trackers but trackers without the FGs are less effective. 

Ashish declined to make any comment as to when the strike of the FGs will be over. 

He said "It's not my cup of tea. I am concerned about the safety of wild life, humans and the habitat for wild life and humans too."