Kamal Ghorui
Jamshedpur: Two separate herds of elephants, comprising 38 animals, have been straying into villages in the Noamundi range of the Chaibasa forest division for the past three days.The movement of the jumbos has unsettled villagers, many of whom have shifted to safer locations until the animals are driven back into the forest.The divisional forest office has deployed two teams of 25 personnel each, including a Quick Response Team (QRT), to push the herds away. However, the elephants are repeatedly returning to human habitations.“Elephant herds are frequently entering villages from the Lepang-Jampani corridor along the Odisha border,” said Chaibasa divisional forest officer (DFO) Aditya Narayan.He added that teams have been stationed round the clock in the Noamundi range to respond swiftly to alerts from nearby villages.Foresters are patrolling vulnerable areas day and night to prevent any untoward incidents. “We are making regular public announcements urging villagers to remain alert and inform forest officials immediately on spotting the herd,” Narayan said.The station master of Jamkundia railway station has also been put on alert as elephant movement has increased along the Dangoaposi–Jaroli railway section under the Chakradharpur division.Forest officials have distributed torchlights and firecrackers to residents in the Munda Sai and Kokoeta stretch—areas close to the corridor and prone to frequent elephant incursions.Some villagers have begun taking shelter at safer locations during the night. Others have formed groups to patrol their localities and safeguard their families.“There is a risk of injuries when elephants attack thatched houses, so many villagers are avoiding staying indoors at night,” said a forester.Notably, the Chaibasa and Kolhan forest divisions recorded 21 deaths in separate wild tusker attacks between January 1 and January 12 this year.
