Raikia, June 25: The growing menace of wild elephants in Odisha’s Kandhamal district has emerged as a serious challenge to public safety, particularly in villages located near forest areas of G. Udayagiri, Tikabali and Raikia blocks. Frequent incursions by elephants and wild boars have left residents living in constant fear, disrupting daily life and livelihoods.

Demanding a permanent solution to the escalating human-wildlife conflict, local residents submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister through G. Udayagiri Tehsildar Samudra Mishra.

According to local reports, elephant attacks in recent days have claimed the lives of five tribal residents, while 13 domestic animals have also been killed. In addition, hundreds of acres of agricultural land have been damaged and several houses have been destroyed by marauding elephant herds.

Villagers allege that elephants regularly enter human settlements after dusk, creating panic among residents. The recurring incidents have adversely affected students' education, farmers' livelihoods and the day-to-day activities of local communities.

Residents expressed dissatisfaction over what they described as inadequate action by the administration and the Forest Department to address the crisis. They stressed that immediate and effective intervention is necessary to ensure public safety and prevent further human and animal casualties.

In the memorandum, the residents put forward several key demands, including the formation of a dedicated Rapid Response Team (RRT) for Kandhamal district, the establishment of a 24×7 emergency helpline, installation of solar street lights in wildlife-prone areas and regular forest patrols.

They also sought immediate and adequate compensation for affected farmers and families, as well as the deployment of modern early warning systems and construction of protective barriers in elephant movement corridors to reduce human-wildlife conflict.

The residents warned that if the authorities fail to take concrete and timely measures, they would launch a larger public agitation in the coming days to press for their demands.

The rising incidents have once again highlighted the urgent need for comprehensive wildlife management and stronger mitigation measures in Kandhamal, where human-elephant conflict continues to pose a major threat to lives and livelihoods.