Odisha: Two crushed to death by elephants in Cuttack as herd goes on a rampage

Forest department staff warned people from venturing out of the Jagatpur square to NH16. The district administration has also shut down all educational institutions in the area on Wednesday

Published on: Sep 28, 2022, 15:14:42 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A tusker crushed two elderly persons, including a woman, to death and injured two more in Odisha’s Cuttack on Wednesday morning after it strayed from nearby forests of the Athagarh division.

A wild adult male elephant in a tea estate in eastern India. (File Photo)

Officials said a herd of elephants entered Jagatpur area of Cuttack from Athagarh late on Tuesday night, triggering panic among locals as it went on a rampage damaging vehicles and houses. Two others, including a youth who was trying to take selfie with the elephants, got critically injured.

Forest department staff warned people from venturing out of the Jagatpur square to NH16. The district administration has also shut down all educational institutions in the area on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the carcass of an elephant was found at gate number 14 of the Jobra anicut by the Mahanadi river. It is suspected that the elephant got washed away while crossing the water body.

Also Read:Wild elephant electrocuted in Kerala

Last week, people in Deogaon village under Dudhiani range in Mayurbhanj district held 10 forest officials captive for several hours and demanded that a herd of elephants that were on a rampage in the area be chased away from their village, and they also be provided compensation for the damaged crops.

Union minister for environment, forest and climate change Bhupender Yadav last month told the Lok Sabha that of the 1,578 people who died in elephant attacks in the country between 2019-20 and 2021-22, Odisha reported the highest (322).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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