SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, July 22: A herd of 30 elephants trampled a villager identified as Gyanchandra Mahto (50) in Karmatand forest village under the Topchachi police station, around 45 km away from here on the intervening night of Sunday-Monday.
Dhanbad Division Forest Officer (DFO) Vikash Paliwal said that the incident was reported at night. The victim’s family was paid some compensation on the spot and the body was sent for post-mortem.
Awareness campaigns under progress
“After the incident, the elephant herd fled in Giridih district forest but awareness campaigns in affected areas are under progress for villagers on what to do and what not in such a situation,” said DFO Paliwal
The incident occurred between 12 to 12.30 am. A herd of elephants stormed into the village. Villagers were driving out of residential areas with ‘Mashal’ and beating drums. All of a sudden, the herd bounced back on them and trampled Gyanchandra Mahto. He died on the spot.
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Forest, police officials took no cognizance
The village chief said officials of the forest department and Topchachi police station both were duly informed about the incident but no one took cognizance at night.
Fearing villagers’ ire neither local forest office officials nor Topchachi police station officials had reached the village till 11 am today. The village falls under the wildlife century area and a herd of 30 elephants, including 4 calves have been camping in the dense forest for the last week.
So far, elephant herds have damaged over two dozen houses in forest-based villages.
An eyewitness villager said elephants first entered Baragora village at around 10 pm on Saturday. When villagers drove them away, they went to Karmatand village crossing through Kalyanpur and Tarapur villages.
