Elephant tramples man to death in Odisha’s Keonjhar dist; irate villagers block road

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Keonjhar, Jan 2:

Irate locals blocked the Champua-Rimuli road today demanding payment of compensation to the family members of person killed by a jumbo yesterday in Patara village under Champua block in Odisha’s Keonjhar district.

Locals blocked the road keeping the body of the deceased on the road. They are demanding a permanent solution to the problem since wild elephants are frequently straying into human habitations and causing damage to both life and property. A herd of elephants has been camping in the nearby forested area since the last few days, alleged locals.

The man identified as Sudhir Nayak was attacked and trampled to death while he was watching a herd of jumbos outside his house late yesterday night. The herd had strayed into Patara village from the forested area. One from the herd first pulled down Nayak’s hut and then crushed him to death, eyewitnesses said.

According to latest reports, Forest department officials have arrived at the spot and are trying to persuade the locals to remove the blockade.

DFO Keonjhar division Rohit Lenka said; “There is frequent movement of elephants in the Keonjhar Forest division, most of it in the Champua area. We have erected solar fences in some places, includig Patara and Kalikaprasad, and are planning to dig trenches using NREGS funds to provide a permanent solution to the issue. The herd will driven out from the region into the reserve forest area by evening today.”