JHAPA, Jan 28: Wild elephant menace has taken its toll in the east southern area of Jhapa district throwing the locals into a terror. According to available data, at least 28 people were killed in elephant attacks in the district in the past seven years, and many others injured. 

They also destroy houses and ripen crops, said a local. At present a herd of around 13 elephants strays from Assam in India into places like Jyamirgadhi, Duwagadhi, Chandragadhi, Garamani, Haldibari Jalthal, Prithivinagar, Baluwabadi, Kechana, Pathariya and Gherabari, and destroys crops, he added. 

Millions of rupees worth of crops and banana farming have been destroyed in elephant rampages so far, said a local Chuda Raj Bhattarai of Kachanakabal-3. 

He said the locals are forced to sleepless nights in an attempt to save their crops from elephants. 
Despite the elephant menace going on for a decade, no concrete steps have been taken to resolve the problem.

The locals accused the government and other concerned authorities of being apathetic towards their woes. The District Forest Office however has started fencing the affected areas with solar barbed wire to control the elephant menace.(RSS)

 
• tusker
 
• menace
 
• terrorises
 
• jhapa
 
• locals