Chaibasa: Wild elephants account for damage to crops and homes

Chaibasa, Oct 6: Wild elephants have been known to create havoc in the Kolhan Region by destroying standing crops and damaging houses in the rural and suburban areas. A case in point is Ipilsingi Panchayat in Manjhari Block where wild elephants have been in damage mode by ransacking crops in paddy fields and damaging houses leading to a sense of fear among villagers.
Going by reports, on Friday, a herd of wild elephants caused damage to both crops and houses of Badula Singh Kunkal in Jojobera near at Chaibasa. The residence of Jema Kunkal too was damaged by the elephants. The herd of elephants entered Badula’s fields and trampled the rice crops causing substantial losses to both farmers.
Madhav Chandra Kunkal, a member of the Zila Parishad in Manjhari Block, inspected the damages and talked to the affected residents. The Zila Parshad demanded adequate compensation from the Forest Department for the losses caused by the elephants. “The Ipilsingi Panchayat region is particularly vulnerable to wild elephant incursions during the rice crop season, leading to significant losses for local farmers. Therefore, the government should take appropriate measures to either mitigate the elephant menace in this Panchayat area or provide immediate compensation to affected individuals in case of losses,” Madhav Chandra Kunkal stated.