BERHAMPUR: An awareness drive is on by the Forest Department to make the inhabitants of villages adjacent to the Gaida jungle in Ganjam and Gajapati districts conscious for peaceful coexistence of humans and elephants moving in the area.

According to S.N. Mohapatra, Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer, these villagers have a major role in attracting pachyderms to the Gaida jungle from the Lakhari reserve forest. The `vana surakhya committees' of these villages have regenerated the Gaida jungle. Near the Kamalapur village, the efforts of the jungle protection committee had revived a perennial jungle stream, which had dried up.

Crop damage

The increase in vegetation, especially bamboo bushes along with availability of water, has started to attract Lakhari pachyderms to this area. This has surely panicked the villagers.

During the paddy harvest time, the villagers of Kumbhajhari, Gaida and Dakhinpur had to face the crop damage due to the herds of wild elephants. The movement of elephants has come down after the crop got harvested but the fear remains as the pachyderms still move around inside the Gaida forest.

To make the villagers to accept the movement of elephants in their area, the Forest Department has launched an awareness movement in the area with the help of village committees. "Our first step is to root out superstitions regarding elephants from the minds of villagers to avoid injuries and deaths," said Mr. Mohapatra.

Poster

At times villagers come out to worship wild elephants and fall prey to their wrath. To avoid such incidents, the Forest Department is bringing out a poster with `dos and don'ts' when villagers find wild elephants in their vicinity.

The village committees have been provided high-power torches to aim at the eyes of the wild elephants to dissuade them from entering human habitats.

Large quantity of gunny bags and used vehicle lubricant has been provided to prepare large torches and bon fires to shoo away the animals. As the last resort, the villagers are advised to use their stock of crackers provided by the Forest Department to hold untimely `Diwali' to chase away pachyderms.

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