Dhanbad: A herd of around 25 elephants damaged ready-to-harvest paddy crop and a house at Bholmara village under the Barwadda police station area on Saturday.The elephants walked through agricultural fields, trampling paddy and causing substantial losses to farmers. The herd then entered a residential area in Maricho panchayat and damaged the wall of a house. Family members managed to move out in time. Villagers used torches and fire to drive the elephants to a nearby forest.District forest officer (DFO) Vikas Paliwal said the department was closely monitoring the situation. Elephants generally follow established movement routes, but sometimes enter human settlements drawn by the smell of food grains or other edible items, he added.Paliwal advised villagers not to sleep near places where grains and other food items are stored, especially at night, to reduce the risk of human-elephant conflict and prevent loss of life.The department was assessing the damage to crops and property and would provide compensation to eligible affected residents according to applicable provisions, the DFO stated.Villagers urged the forest department to take steps to keep elephants away from human habitations and ensure timely compensation for crop and property losses.
