Gadchiroli: A wild elephant, which had come to Gadchiroli from Chhattisgarh state and was lost from its herd, entered Telangana on April 3. There is a sense of fear as the elephant has wreaked havoc there and two farmers have been crushed to death in two consecutive days. The forest department has sounded an alert in the border areas.
Two dozen elephants entered Gadchiroli from Odisha through Chhattisgarh three to three-and-a-half years ago. Farmers are shocked by the menace of elephants that have settled in the dense forests of Gadchiroli. The elephants not only damaged other crops, including paddy crops but also killed four people in 2023 and three in three months this year. Meanwhile, an elephant from the herd crossed the Pranahita River, which flows near Nagulwahi village in Mulchera taluk, in the early hours of April 3 and entered Telangana. A 45-year-old farmer, Alriu Shankar, was attacked and killed while he was engaged in chili harvesting at Burepalli in Telangana's Kumrambhim district.
In the early hours of April 4, a 50-year-old farmer, Karu Poshanna, was attacked by a wild elephant while he was watering his paddy crop in his field. Then he crushed under his feet. The forest department in Mulchera taluka of Gadchiroli, including Telangana, has been put on alert after a wild elephant killed two farmers in the last 24 hours.
Surveillance through drone camera
The wild elephant has shifted its march from the Chintlamanepalli taluk of Telangana to the Sulugupalli area in Bejur taluk. In Maharashtra too, officials, staff and RRT teams of the Alapally forest department have launched a search operation along the Pranahita river through drone cameras. Work is underway to capture the elephant's movements.
"Two farmers have been killed by a wild elephant in the state of Telangana. These elephants are located in the Pranahita River border area. Maybe they can re-enter the Maharashtra border and come to the border areas. Therefore, caution should be maintained in Gadaheri, Chinchgundi, Vangepalli, Krishnapur, Gerra, and Mahagaon."
- Rajesh Pimpalkar, Field Assistant Officer, Alapalli Taluk Aheri