Wild elephant rampage damages four houses, destroys paddy crop in Gumla

Two wild elephants went on a rampage in two villages under Sicoi Panchayat in the Raidih forest area of Jharkhand’s Gumla district late Sunday night, damaging four houses and destroying paddy crops in nearby fields.

According to residents, the elephants damaged the houses of Supriyan Kujur, son of Isidor Kujur, Jagga Munda and Simarnath Munda in Tiyan Tongri village. They also damaged the house of Bahura Turi, son of late Ratia Turi, in Turidih village.

The elephants not only damaged the structures but also destroyed household belongings stored inside the houses. They later moved through agricultural fields, trampling and damaging standing paddy crops.

The incident has left residents worried, with villagers fearing further visits by the elephants and additional damage to their homes and crops.

After receiving information about the incident, Raidih Beat In-charge Forest Guard Chandresh Oraon and forest guards Hemraj Oraon and Muneshwar Ram reached the affected villages. The Forest Department team inspected the damaged houses and assessed the crop losses.

The officials also provided the affected villagers with application forms to claim compensation for the losses caused by the elephants. Forest Department officials said the claims would be processed after the required formalities and eligible beneficiaries would receive compensation according to the applicable rules.

Local representatives also visited the affected families. Sicoi Panchayat Mukhiya Tabita Tirkey and JMM block vice-president Samal Lohra met the villagers, took stock of the situation and assured them of all possible assistance.

The latest incident once again highlights the growing challenges faced by villagers living close to forest areas, where encounters between people and wild elephants can result in damage to homes, crops and property. For farming families, the destruction of standing paddy can be particularly difficult as it directly affects their seasonal livelihood.

Forest officials are monitoring the movement of the elephants and have urged residents to remain cautious and inform the department promptly if the animals return to the area.