A wild elephant has created panic in Kanas near the capital, destroying vast stretches of paddy fields and forcing farmers to suspend agricultural work.
The elephant, reportedly straying from Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary, has entered villages including Kanas, Kotkana, Benanga, Madhipur, and Nuadokanda, damaging standing crops across several acres. Farmers said years of hard work were wiped out overnight, leaving them fearful and helpless.
Local residents are staying awake through the night to drive the elephant away, but it keeps returning. “We worked for months to grow paddy, but the elephant destroyed everything in one night. Now we are too scared to go to the fields,” said a farmer. Another villager added, “Children cry in fear when they hear the elephant’s calls at night. We don’t know when we will live in peace again.”
The incident highlights the growing human-elephant conflict in Odisha, particularly in areas close to Chandaka Sanctuary. Deforestation, food scarcity, and expanding human settlements have driven elephants into villages, resulting in crop loss and fatalities. Reports suggest that in recent years, hundreds of people have died in elephant attacks across Odisha, while thousands of acres of crops have been destroyed.
Villagers have urged the Forest Department to drive the elephant back into the jungle and provide compensation for their losses. Officials have reached the site and are monitoring the animal, but fear and tension continue as the elephant roams the area.
