Wild elephants cause panic in Odisha’s steel city yet again

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Rourkela, Aug 24:

Panic gripped the steel city of Rourkela in Odisha’s Sundargarh district after a herd of wild elephants entered the city limits on Saturday night.

The herd comprising ten members including two baby elephants has taken shelter near the Vedavyas temple here, eyewitnesses said.

Forest department officials, three platoons of policemen and local people are guarding the elephants since their sighting in the morning today to prevent their entry into the city.

“Efforts are on to drive away the herd. There is nothing to panic. Towards evening we will take steps to chase them away into the forest”, said DFO Rourkela.

A police official on duty said “We have three platoons of policemen guarding the elephants from all sides. The herd will be driven back to the forest in the evening when darkness sets in”.

The local people are, however, a worried lot.

“We are scared because last year wild elephants had entered into the city and camped at the Bisra Maidan in the heart of the steel city”.