3 killed in elephant attack in Dhenkanal, ranger & forester suspended
Odisha reported 154 human deaths due to elephant attacks in the 2023-24 period, the highest for any Indian state this year and the highest for Odisha in the past five years. This was revealed in a reply by Union minister of state for environment, forest and climate change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Also, Odisha reported 624 elephant deaths over the past five years, the highest among Indian states.
The incident took place when a tusker, part of a herd of three, attacked the victims near a pond in Baghadharia village, within Hindol police station area of Rasol forest section. Divisional forest officer (DFO) Sumit Kar identified the deceased as Jhulana Dehury (55), her brother-in-law Karunakar Dehury (60), a farmer, and co-villager Sashi Sahoo (64). The attack happened between 4:45 am and 5:15 am.
Kar said forest officials were tracking the herd's movements.
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Forester Lusmita Singh and Hindol ranger Goutam Pradhan have been suspended, official sources said. Over 100 protection squad members have been monitoring elephant movements in the Hindol range, with an additional 25 volunteers deployed to intensify efforts in the affected area.
The elephant first attacked Jhulana, who was plucking flowers, followed by Karunakar, who attempted to chase the animal away. Minutes later, it attacked Sashi, who was heading to the pond for an early bath.
While Karunakar and Sashi died on the spot, Jhulana died in a hospital shortly after.
Expressing his condolences, Singhkhuntia assured that strict action would be taken against any officer found negligent in their duties. In response to frequent elephant attacks, local residents staged a blockade on the Sambalpur-Cuttack highway at Satmile Chowk, demanding the release of full compensation for the victims' families immediately and installation of solar-powered fences to prevent further intrusions.
The blockade lasted for around three hours.
According to Kar, compensation of Rs 10 lakh will be provided to the next of kin of the deceased, with 10% (Rs one lakh) released within the first 48 hours. The Union govt offers financial assistance to states under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes of "Development of Wildlife Habitats", "Project Tiger", and "Project Elephant" to manage wildlife and its habitats.
These activities include the procurement of early warning systems and the construction of physical barriers to prevent wild animals from entering crop fields. MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh noted that Odisha received Rs 50 crore in financial aid from the Centre for Development of Wildlife Habitats over the past five years to mitigate human-animal conflicts.
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