TOI / Wild elephants in Rengali, Sambalpur have caused heavy damage to standing crops.
With the entire state machinery busy in providing flood relief, Farmers see no hope of getting help for their loss anytime soon. "We understand our problem is quite different from others. We were unable to take up cultivation on time due to poor rainfall in the initial stage, and now the wild tuskers have completely destroyed whatever little yield we had, pushing us in a desperate situation," said Sashi Kishan of Tamerkela village.
According to him, majority of the farmers residing in the area have lost everything because of the destruction caused by the elephants.
The famers travelled to Sambalpur town on Saturday and narrated their plight to the district administration with a request to provide immediate compensation for the destruction. "We have now lost everything and unless the government assures us to provide compensation on time, we do have no hope of continuing farming any more," said Fakir Oram of Kudalpali village.
According to the farmers, a herd of 30-35 elephants have been descending on their crop fields every night since the past week to devour the standing paddy crops.
"They eat less and destroy more. The crops are easily destroyed as the elephants move about in the fields. We try to scare them with fire and by beating drums but all our efforts remain fruitless because they are now habituated with these ploys," said another farmer, Rabindra Oram of Kudalpali.
Forest officials said wild elephants are found frequenting human habitations lately as there has been a sharp decline in forest cover due to rapid industrialization in the district. "However, we are trying to take necessary steps to drive the elephants back into the forest," said a senior forest officer of the district.
