Locals protest in Jhargram as elephants raid villages, damage crops

Houses were damaged, cropsruined and a baby injured as a herd of elephants has been on arampage in West Bengal's Jhargram district over the past fewdays, protesting against which locals blocked a highway,officials said on Monday.

The herd of 45 elephants from Dalma in nearbyJharkhand has damaged houses and crops in Adharjora,Bhairabkundu, Shalchaturi and Kabamari villages in Lalgarh,they said.

The elephants destroyed crops, vegetables andsugarcane plantations in the fields adjacent to the Kangsabatiriver, they added.

The herd also damaged four houses as a result of whicha baby was injured, locals said.

Demanding that the administration chase away the herdimmediately, locals on Sunday blocked the Midnapore-Jhargramstate highway that goes via Dherua.

The villagers also demanded compensation for thedamaged crops and houses in the area.

The road blockade was withdrawn after districtauthorities assured the people that they are looking into thematter, police said.

The wild elephants also destroyed a pipeline that isused for drawing water from the Kangsabati river forirrigating the fields.

The destruction of the pipeline can affect thecultivation of boro paddy in the entire area, locals claimed.

The herd is at present in the forest area near Lalgarhand efforts are on to chase the animals back, a spokespersonof the Forest Department said.