Wild Elephants Destroy House in Odisha, Couple Left Homeless
The incident brought to the fore the vulnerability of people living in elephant-prone areas of Keonjhar district, where encounters with wild elephants often result in damage to houses and property, apart from posing a threat to human lives
Bhubaneswar: A herd of 32 elephants wreaked havoc at Balinal Sahi in Jali gram panchayat under Champua block of Odisha’s Keonjhar district on Saturday, completely destroying a house and household belongings and leaving a couple homeless.
The husband and wife living in the house had a narrow escape as they managed to flee when the elephant herd descended on their dwelling. With their house rendered unfit for habitation, the couple was forced to take shelter in another person's home.
The incident has left Kartik Majhi and his wife in distress, with virtually all their household belongings damaged. Majhi has reportedly appealed to the Forest Department and the district administration for assistance to rebuild his house and provide his family with a roof over their heads.
The incident brought to the fore the vulnerability of people living in elephant-prone areas of Keonjhar district, where encounters with wild elephants often result in damage to houses and property, apart from posing a threat to human lives.
Champua Range Officer Sagar Raj Nayak confirmed the destruction, saying the house had been completely damaged and was no longer fit for occupation. He said the affected locality came under the Champua forest range and that the concerned section officer would look into the matter.
Nayak said the Range Officer, along with other concerned officials, would conduct a field survey to assess the extent of the damage. The affected family would subsequently be required to submit an application for compensation based on the assessment.
“An elephant herd in the Champua range completely destroyed Kartik Majhi's house in Balinala Sahi. The house is no longer fit for habitation. The concerned section officer will look into the matter, and a survey will be conducted along with the Range Officer to assess the damage. The family can apply for compensation based on the assessed loss, following which government assistance will be provided,” Nayak said.
He added that a field survey was mandatory for processing compensation claims and assured that the department would extend the maximum possible assistance to the affected family under the applicable government provisions.
