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Elephants to be restrained in Lakhari

BERHAMPUR: The elephants of Lakhari sanctuary would be restrained from straying out of the sanctuary by construction trenches, guard walls and fences at susceptible areas. It may be noted that seven elephants of a herd of wild elephants that had strayed out of this sanctuary is yet to return back from Andhra Pradesh. This herd had killed several people in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

The elephants of this sanctuary stray out of it and enter paddy fields during harvest season and also come near human habitats in search of water during summer months. Lack of proper amount of water and pressure of increasing tribal hamlets inside the sanctuary are said to be reasons behind straying of wild elephants from sanctuary area.

Speaking to The Hindu, the Gajapati Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Manas Ranjan Bhatt informed that they have prepared a detailed plan to stop elephant herds to wander off out of the sanctuary limits. It would be done through digging of trenches, erection of stone walls and wire fencings at areas around the sanctuary through which pachyderms come out of the sanctuary area. Better road network would also be laid inside the sanctuary to enable the forest officials keep track of the elephants in a better way.

A camp-shed would be built up near Chandragiri for the forest officials to monitor the movements of the elephants inside the sanctuary. These works are to be done with the finance provided from the Backward Region Grant Fund also to provide employment scope to local unemployed labourers.

A proposal is also on to construct a large reservoir at the heart of the Lakhari sanctuary, which would not dry up during summer. It would also help in checking straying of elephant herds in search of water.

The forest officials would be holding discussions with the Minor Irrigation Department for construction of a reservoir inside the sanctuary tapping the local mountain streams, which would prove to be a perennial water source for the elephants. Lakhari was declared an elephant sanctuary in 1985. It comprises area of around 18,586 hectares.

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Elephants to be restrained in Lakhari

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