42 elephants enter rural area in Bokaro, Forest Department deploys QRTs for vigilance

Bokaro (Jharkhand) [India], September 25 (ANI): A herd of 42 elephants, comprising three newborn elephants, entered a rural area in Bokaro, causing damage to crops and panic among locals.

Forest Officer Sandeep Shinde said that strict vigilance measures, including two Quick Response Teams (QRTs), had been implemented in Barkipunnu and Patrawal to spread awareness among the people.

Shinde further appealed to people to avoid roaming around in the evening.

“Currently, a large herd (of elephants) is in Bokaro. The herd, comprising 42 elephants, including three newborn elephants, migrated from Ramgarh… Therefore, we have implemented strict vigilance measures for the past 3 days. For this purpose, we have two QRTs (Quick Response Teams), one stationed in Barkipunnu and one in Patrawal. Through them, awareness is being spread among the people there via the music system… People are advised not to go out in the evening, nor should they go to the forest before dawn… QRTs are trying to push the elephants back into the forest.. Our HaatiApp and forest officials are providing updates to the people,” Shinde told reporters.

In another similar incident reported a month ago in Chhattisgarh, a herd of four wild elephants destroyed Chhattisgarh’s Marwahi forest division by damaging houses and triggered panic and fear among the local villagers.

Marwahi forest ranger Ramesh Kumar said, “In the last seven days, elephants damaged 15-16 houses and also harmed crops… The assessment of the damaged houses is still ongoing, and a team is monitoring the movement of the elephants… They are doing this due to food scarcity…”

Locals in the affected area complained that Marwahi Beat guards did nothing and issued no early warnings.

Dhanesh Prajapati, a resident of the affected area, narrated the event and said, “Yesterday, elephants came at 8:30 pm and destroyed my house. Family members are worried. Where will we go in the rainy season? Marwahi Beat guards are not doing anything; they just roam here and there in the vehicle. No early warning was given…”

Locals also claimed that the animals had been separated from a larger group.

A local, Subadhra Prajapati, said, “An elephant damaged 2-3 houses here. Someone mentioned that four elephants got separated from the herd, and one of them is now living alone, roaming around, and causing damage. The elephant came suddenly yesterday, which is why my house was damaged… There is nothing to eat or drink here. We are so afraid that we cannot sleep all night…” (ANI)

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