G. Udaygiri (Kandhamal): The persistent threat of elephant attacks in G.Udaygiri area of Kandhamal district has claimed yet another life.
Prashant Nayak, a local resident, was killed in the latest incident on Tuesday, sparking widespread outrage. In protest, aggrieved villagers placed the deceased’s body in front of the Forest Department office, demanding urgent action and accountability.
The region has been grappling with repeated elephant intrusions for months, with two wild elephants wreaking havoc across several villages.
The animals, straying from nearby forests, have caused severe damage to homes, crops, and even lives. Their continued presence has terrorized villagers in Kurumingia, Sujeli, Malikpadi, Padasahi, Raipada, Nandagiri, Pidikamaha, Retudi, Gresangia, Rudangia, and Malansuga.
Residents say the fear of nocturnal elephant attacks keeps them awake through the night, leaving them too exhausted to work during the day.
“We are living in constant fear. We cannot sleep, we cannot earn—our lives have come to a standstill,” said a local farmer.
Just days before Nayak’s death, Pradeep Nayak’s house was attacked. The elephants destroyed three rooms, household belongings, and several trees. Pradeep’s son Prakash Nayak, along with his family, barely escaped with their lives after fleeing to the main road. Nearby, Gobardhan Pradhan’s maize crop was trampled in another raid.
Despite repeated incidents, villagers allege that the Forest Department has failed to implement any lasting solution. Forest officials have conducted site visits and submitted damage reports for compensation, but the lack of preventive action has fueled growing resentment.
This incident comes close on the heels of another fatal elephant attack in the region last Saturday, and the killing of a cow on Sunday in Kakamaha Talsahi of Gresingia Panchayat.
With both lives and livelihoods at stake, residents are demanding a permanent solution to the human-elephant conflict that continues to devastate their communities.
