The forest officials of three districts - lohardagga, latehar and Palamu - are mulling over ways and means to drive back a herd of 16 elephants which had migrated from Bengal to the border of lohardagga and latehar, said DFO core of the Palamu tiger reserve P Anand.
A herd of 16 elephants including tuskers and two calves are on the border of lohardagga and latehar over the last five days and are on a destruction mission. So far they destroyed three to four houses rendering 30 people homeless in one or two nights at village Goli under lathupsena panchayat.
The elephants take rest in day in lohardagga but become hostileat night in latehar. latehar’s ladhupsena panchayat is is barely 50 meters away from lohardagga district.
Sources said there is no concrete mechanism to drive back the elephants except the experts who push them back manually but with lots of caution as in retreat the elephants may cause further destruction.
Sources said experts are to reach from Silli.
The herd of elephants has travelleddown places like Purulia, Silli, Ramgarh and Khilaree. Villagers have been given kersone oil, crackers, burnt mobil and knowledge to frighten the elephants.
One source said powder of red chili if spread causes a halt to the mrauding elephants but in this poverty ridden latehar lohardagga red chili is a luxury with the poor whose grains are being consumed by the elephants.
The elephants’ trunks are reaching for paddy and rice the two things now getting scarce in this drought like situation here in Jharkhand. The villagers are keeping awake at night while officers brainstorm as to how to get rid of this problem.
The great consolation is that the elephants have not trampled anyone to death otherwise there would be then an outbreak of worst hostility and panic, added Anand.