DHENKANAL: Close to 40 elephants, including tuskers, died under various circumstances from 2006 to 2011, seven were killed last year alone.More than 38 persons, attacked by the elephants, either died on the spot or succumbed on way to hospital during the same period. Crops worth Rs 5 crore were damaged over the six years. The casualty figures of both humans and elephants, besides the crop loss, went on to disrupt the agricultural activities in the district. With the onset of the harvest season, several districts in the State are in the throes of acute man-animal conflict and Dhenkanal too has to bear the burnt. The scenario has discouraged farmers from growing cash crops despite subsidy being provided by the Government and adequate funds for capacity building of the farm communities. A farmer Devadutta Patnaik of Bhagbanpur village said a herd of elephants destroyed paddy on six acres and cash crops worth Rs 2 lakh during the last three years. Fearing the loan burden, many farmers have become labourers.With the harvesting season in full swing now, the farmers apprehend attacks by elephants like last month. Both, big and small farmers, have urged the district administration and forest officials to start regular patrolling to protect the crops from pachyderms. The forest officials have reportedly expressed their inability citing inadequate funds and infrastructure to keep elephants off agriculture fields. Elephants have changed their food habits and are straying into human habitations, said forest officials and wildlife experts. About habitat development, DFO SK Dalai said measures were being taken as per Government provision with the help of available infrastructure but research and more funds would be required to develop elephant habitat.Regular training of forest officials and support of locals are the other essential elements, he added. This would help in checking suspected poaching for tusks and also avert deaths due to train accidents, he added.A civil society organisation Mission Reconstruction has urged the Government for better inter-departmental coordination and stressed the need to insure crops to check farmers’ suicides.Admitting loss of human lives besides elephant deaths, Deputy Director of Agriculture Laxmidhar Behera said farmers face difficulties in protecting their crops from pachyderms.
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