In the villages of Siari and Lodhi Panchayat of Gomiya block, a herd of elephants kept creating havoc throughout the night but the forest department did not lose sleep.
During this period, the herd of elephants damaged 16 houses and ate the grains kept in the houses. Elephants also trampled crops grown in many acres.
Villagers said that at 11 pm on Saturday six or seven group of herd of elephants first entered Chitu village of Siari Panchayat and demolished seven houses. The elephants that reached here ate the rice, corn and mahua kept at home.
In the same sequence , elephants damaged TV, stabilizer, DJ set sound, TV, fridge, scooter and other items in the houses. The villagers somehow drove away the elephants from here by playing drums and two elephants reached Tola and Bhavra tand via Ban Chatra village of Lodhi Panchayat.
Here elephants destroyed 9 houses and ate the grains kept in the houses. Due to fear of elephants, the people of the village along with their children ran into the forest to save their lives.
Sushila Tudu, a resident of Rasta Tola, told the media that all the people of the village were sleeping in their houses when Rohan Soren reached her house at around 2 o'clock in the night and said that an elephant was vandalizing his house. He somehow saved his life and came to help, but after seeing a herd of four-five elephants, he lost his courage. After this, the herd of elephants went to one house after another, broke the main door, wall etc. and ate the rice, paddy, paddy etc. kept in the house.
Sushila Marandi told that she along with five family members ran away from home at night and took shelter in a relative's house about half a kilometer away, which saved their lives. However, the elephants broke the wall of his house and ate the rice and madua kept at his house. She said that elephants broke nine houses and ate the grains kept in the houses.
Let us tell you that on the evening of Saturday itself, the herd of elephants had reached Karmatand near IEL police station area in Gomia block and had vandalized here too. The elephant drive team of the forest department reached here and tried to send the elephants from Karmatand towards Daniya forest, but instead of going towards Daniya forest, the elephants entered Vanchatra forest. In the night, elephants destroyed many houses in Chitu and Van Chatra villages and ate the grains. In this regard, an attempt was made to contact Tenughat forest area officer Vinay Kumar over phone, but he did not receive the call.