Jumbo menace continues to hit Subarnapur, Balangir farmers THURSDAY, 10 NOVEMBER 2011 23:12 SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR HITS: 5 User Rating: / 0

Jumbo menace continues to hit Subarnapur, Balangir farmers
THURSDAY, 10 NOVEMBER 2011 23:12 SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR HITS: 5
User Rating: / 0
PoorBest
The ordeal of farmers of Subarnapur and Balangir districts is far from over even after losing their Kharif paddy crop, due to irregular and scanty rainfall this year.

As the winter sets in, they are facing another ordeal -loss of standing paddy crop, due to marauding group of jumbos from nearby forest in Subarnapur and Balangir district.

According to reports, around 16 jumbos have damaged paddy crop in Seragada, Dhuleshwar,Chouhanpur, Hathilimunda in Birmahajpur block of Sonepur district. These areas shares borders with Redahkhol forest and elephants are coming from there.

Around 20 elephants have damaged paddy crops in Lachhipur,Chhhatkhol and other adjoining areas in Sonepur block Similarly in Ulunda area around six elephants have damaged crop of farmers, explained a forest official.

"The damage to paddy crop is going on since last 15 days and as per our report around 500 acre of paddy crop has been damaged in our district. The main reasons for coming of so many jumbos from forest, towards paddy filed in plain land and damaging it, are due to availability of fodder, adequate drinking water, bushy forest area, absence of mining and blasting activity in this area and a safe habitat" points out forest range officer of Sonepur Sushil Tripathy.

"It is a gross misconception that jumbos are coming out to eat paddy crop in the field. Elephants are coming out as their habitat has been damaged and these areas were once their corridor. The movement of elephant towards paddy field and damaging paddy crop is more of a fun and amusement", Tripathy further added.

Besides Sonepur, the farmers of Balangir district have also been affected due to jumbo menace. According to reports last night around 30 elephants are moving in and around Bendra, Bakti, Asurmunda and Katapali and other villages in the Loisingha range in Balangir district.

Three persons have a providential escape on Saturday morning as these persons were coming to Bhalimunda Market to sell chillies on their bicycle. Seeing the elephant these people somehow fled from that spot leaving their bicycle and chilly which they were carrying to market for selling. At least paddy crop of four farmers have been damaged in Katapali village and if all the damaged paddy land is calculated it would be more than 50 acre, said Promod Bagarti of Katapali.

When contacted the Loisingha forest range officer says he cannot say the exact area of crop damage in his area now as he is away. Repeated attempts to contact Balangir DFO RK Sahu over the cell phone failed.