Elephants cause havoc in Chhattisgarh's Marwahi forest belt, locals living in fear

Pendra (Chhattisgarh) [India], August 4 (ANI): A herd of four wild elephants has destroyed Chhattisgarh's Marwahi Forest Division by damaging houses, triggering panic and fear among local villagers.
Marwahi forest ranger Ramesh Kumar said, "In the last seven days, elephants damaged 15-16 houses and also harmed crops... The assessment of the damaged houses is still ongoing, and a team is monitoring the movement of the elephants... They are doing this due to food scarcity..."
The locals of the affected area complained that Marwahi Beat guards did nothing and no early warnings were given to them.
Dhanesh Prajapati, a resident of the affected area, narrated the event and said, "Yesterday, elephants came at 8:30 pm and destroyed my house. Family members are worried. Where will we go in the rainy season? Marwahi Beat guards are not doing anything; they just roam here and there in the vehicle. No early warning was given..."
The locals also reported that the animals were reportedly separated from a larger group.
A local Subadhra Prajapati said, "An elephant damaged 2-3 houses here. Someone mentioned that four elephants got separated from the herd, and one of them is now living alone, roaming around, and causing damage. The elephant came suddenly yesterday, which is why my house was damaged... There is nothing to eat or drink here. We are so afraid that we cannot sleep all night..."
Incidents of human-elephant conflict are quite common in Chhattisgarh, particularly in forested districts like Marwahi, Korba, and Surguja and news about similar incidents is seen frequently.
The reason for this is the fragmentation of elephant corridors due to an increase in agricultural land, expanding mining, and infrastructure projects, which disrupt traditional migration paths of the animals. Also, due to forests shrinking, elephants often venture into villages in search of food and water, leading to clashes with local populations.
According to forest officials and wildlife experts, elephant herds that stray from their usual routes often become disoriented or aggressive, causing extensive damage to property and posing a threat to human life. (ANI)