The forest department has started joint patrolling at Gerua village where two elephants were found dead at a farm on Monday morning. Team from forest staff and members of Van Samity inspected the village on the foothills of Dalma wildlife sanctuary.
The decision to launch joint patrolling was taken at a meeting between Dalma officials and members of the samity held at Makulakocha village. Besides, Dalma divisional forest officer Kamlesh Pandey and ranger R P Singh were also present at the meeting.
Singh said joint patrolling is being carried to ascertain the exact cause of the death and also to stop further occurrence of such incidents. “We have also engaged trackers in the drive. The joint patrolling will continue for some weeks,” the range officer told.
According to him, joint patrolling was designed at preventing elephants from damaging crops at Gerua. “We intend to boost morale of villagers that the forest department was with them. The Gerua residents are angry about yesterday’s incident and promised to co-operate with us,” Singh added.
“The department is looking for young men between 18 to 25 years of age group for the training purpose and preference would be on those villages which are adjacent to the Dalma forest hill,” said a middle rung forest official in the division.
People are in state of havoc due to such menace. Sometimes villagers migrate to safer places for a week or more to avoid the sudden night-time attacks of the wild elephant herds.
“We are forced to spend sleepless nights. Our lives are at risk due to rampaging elephants. Elephants regularly venture into villages, destroy houses, damage standing crops and even trample people to death. We are forced to work like a ‘night guard’ to save our lives and crops,” said Nathu Munda.
He said that rampaging elephants are a cause of concern. Some measures have been adopted and there is need to do more to protect the people.
The farmers have been asked to inform the nearest range office in case of crop raiding so that special teams will be deputed to drive the elephants into the deep jungle.