Even as people of the district are reeling under scorching heat and desperately looking for cool places to get relief, villagers of Harbhanga and Dunguriplli in loisingha block are worried about the damage of crops caused by a herd of elephants.
On Friday night, a herd of 20 elephants damaged the Rabi paddy crop cultivated by farmers. More than 20 elephants are staying at Singjuri village in the adjacent Subarnapur district. They are consuming water from a large pond called Singjuri Kata and food from a nearby forest.
This elephant herd is straying into the villages of Balangir district and damaging crops, adding to the woes of forest officials who are busy in fighting forest fires.