THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, March 15: A herd of elephants entering Palamu district from neighbouring Garhwa in Jharkhand has prompted the forest department to deploy two Quick Response Teams (QRTs) to monitor the situation and alert villagers.
The herd, estimated to have around 15–16 elephants, including two calves, has been moving into parts of Palamu at night and returning to Garhwa after damaging houses and crops in several villages.
According to officials, the elephants have so far damaged houses and destroyed crops, including stored grains, affecting around a dozen villagers in areas under the Khura Kalan panchayat of Chainpur police station limits.
Despite the damage, no loss of human life or confrontation between villagers and the elephants has been reported so far.
Forest Department Monitoring Elephant Movement
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Medininagar Forest Division, Satyam Kumar, said the forest department is keeping constant watch on the herd and informing villagers about elephant movement.
“We are trying to quickly communicate with people whenever a herd of elephants is seen moving in the area. Sharing timely information helps villagers remain alert. They do not panic and avoid venturing out unnecessarily,” the DFO said.
He added that the herd is believed to be coming from the Ranka side of Garhwa district.
“It is a herd and not a single or stray elephant,” Kumar clarified.
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Presence of Calves Makes Herd More Sensitive
Forest officials said the herd includes two elephant calves, making it more sensitive and unpredictable.
A herd with calves often becomes highly protective and aggressive if it senses any threat to the young ones.
Officials warned that any move perceived as a threat to the calves can make the herd extremely defensive.
Compensation for Damages to Be Assessed
Responding to questions about compensation for damaged houses and crops, the DFO said the losses will be assessed before providing relief.
“The forest department is always with the people. Any compensation claim must be genuine and not fictitious,” he said.
International Day of Forests Event in Palamu
Meanwhile, the Medininagar Forest Division is preparing to celebrate the International Day of Forests (World Forest Day), which this year has the theme “Forests and Economies.”
According to the DFO, the programme in Palamu will be held on March 25.
The event will take place at the Nilamber Pitamber University campus, where forest officials recently met Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dinesh Kumar Singh to discuss the programme.
Plan to Develop Green Campus at NPU
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Singh expressed interest in making the university campus greener with extensive plantations.
“We want the local forest office to support the plantation in the campus. A large number of trees will improve the academic environment,” he said.
Plans include planting colourful, flowering and ornamental trees to give the campus a vibrant look with trees bearing green, yellow, blue, purple and red flowers.