There has been no letup in the elephant menace in the Kirimira and Kolabira blocks of Jharsuguda district causing damages to houses and crops as jumbos have come back to Kolabira again after damaging houses in Kirmira Chowk for a week.
late at night of Monday, an elephant entered Raghunathpalli village and destroyed a house’s wall and asbestos roof. Hearing the noise, house owner Nepalo, his wife and aged mother came out of the house. The elephant did not spare their two bags of paddy.
"Even a slightest delay in coming out of the house could not have spared the lives of my family members," said Nepalo with a heavy heart. Thereafter, the elephant entered Dandabuda village and destroyed the house and paddy and rice bags in the house of Dileswar Jaysuria. The jumbo the entered Gharikuda village and damaged the house of Chhabila Majhi and ate away two bags of rice.
On Tuesday night, the elephant demolished houses in the nearby villages and ate the rice stock of Jutia Majhi.
Forest officials are
having a tough time controlling the elephants, which come out from the Bamra Forest regularly.
Raghunathpali villagers said previously the elephants used to go back to the forest when the locals lighted torches. But now, the animals attack villagers when they see light and fire.