A herd of 18 jumbos created panic in naxal affected Barkagaon and Keredari blocks of Hazaribagh district since last three days. The animals damaged more than half a dozen houses, a temple, some shops and crops in the fields.
On Friday late evening the villagers saw a herd of 18 jumbos in the Salaiyatand forest area of the Barkagaon block. During the night they entered in Mohdar village of Sikri panchayat and started destroying the houses. They badly destroyed the houses of Fokali Devi, Anchai Devi, Koka Mahto, Budhan Mahto, Ramu Mahto, Vijay Malhar and others.
Due to the panic of Jumbos the villagers passed their night in the corner of their houses and some in the school building. The jumbos ate the food grains and Mahua (raw material of liquor) stored in their houses.
On Saturday night the jumbos attacked the Chhatiso Mata Temple premises situated in Patrakala village. They damaged the kitchen of priest of the temple and destroyed the shops of Puran Mahto, Shambhu Yadav and others.
Priest Mogal Mahto who was sleeping there fled away after hearing the roar of the herd and thus saved his life. From there the herd moved towards Deshwari village and damaged the houses of Narayan Mahto and Bhola Mahto. Then they entered into the sugarcane field of the villagers and destroyed the almost ready sugarcane plants.
After getting information Ranger Tarun Kumar Singh reached both the spots with other forest staffs and tried his best to remove the herd out of their area. But as per the villagers the herd is still in the forest area of the block.
The Villagers also informed about the incident to the circle officer of Keradari block who provided them kerosene to make torches to keep away the jumbos from populated areas. He had also informed to the senior officials of the forest department.
On his request on Sunday a special team of forest department visited the areas to take a look of the damage done by the herd. The forest officials have assured the villagers that they will get compensation amount after their assessment.
Though the villagers are saying that the herd is still hiding in the forest areas situated between Barkagaon and Keredari blocks but the forest officials have claimed that the herd has crossed the border of the district, only one elephant is still in the area, probably he has lost contact with his herd. They are keeping eye on that elephant and claimed that soon he will also be driven out of the range.