Mumbai, March 29: The menace of wild elephants continues unabated in Jharkhand’s Koderma district. In a tragic incident early Sunday, a 55-year-old woman named Sita Devi was crushed to death by elephants while she was out gathering mahua near her home in the Jamuharladih village.
This marks the third fatality in just four days due to elephant attacks in the area. Following the incident, forest ranger Ravindra Kumar visited the site and provided immediate financial assistance of ₹25,000 to the victim’s family.
According to government provisions, an additional compensation of ₹3.75 lakh will be granted after the necessary paperwork is completed. In rural areas like Jharitand and Dhebuaidih, elephants have also killed numerous livestock and destroyed cattle sheds in recent days. The recent fatalities in Mariyampur and Bonakali have forced local residents to stay vigilant throughout the night.
Experts believe that the elephants’ straying from their herds and their search for food in residential areas are the primary causes of these deadly encounters. Local villagers are expressing significant anger over the forest department’s inability to manage the elephants due to resource shortages.
Previously, in a similar incident last month in Gondwar village of Hazaribagh’s Churchu block, a herd of elephants attacked at midnight, resulting in the deaths of six individuals, including four members of a single family. The elephants destroyed mud houses and trampled sleeping residents, causing widespread panic across the state.
Statistics indicate a rising trend in elephant attacks in Jharkhand. A report reveals that over 25 people have lost their lives due to elephant encounters in just 45 days. Currently, the Koderma administration has issued alerts in affected areas, advising residents not to venture into the forests alone. Forest department teams are working to track the elephants’ locations to drive them away from populated areas.
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