Sundargarh: Jumbos destroy vegetables; tribals decry inaction by forest officials (State of Odisha, India) Argus News September 23, 2022 See link <https://argusnews.in/article/odisha/sundargarh-jumbos-destroy-vegetables-tribals-decry-inaction-by-forest-officials> for photo. SUNDARGARH: Villagers of the Bonai area in Sundargarh district have expressed strong protest against forest officials’ sheer inattentiveness towards elephant menace they are facing for long. “Elephants have been damaging our crops and properties. We are spending sleepless nights. But forest officials are in a deep slumber over our plights,” said villagers. Elephants have been moving in human habitation areas in Basuan range area under Bonai forest subdivision for many days now. But forest department says it has no knowledge about the jumbo presence there. Sources said elephants have eaten up and destroyed vegetables on acres of land in Rengama village. Poor tribal farmers had undertaken vegetable cultivation on a total of 45 acres of land with DMF funds. Now, they have suffered a huge loss. Over a hundred families, all tribals, live in the village. Earlier, they had been living on daily wages. Recently, they heaved a sigh of relief with DMF funds availed to them to undertake cultivation and make them self-reliance. However, elephants seem to have stood on their way of economic transition. “We have informed the forest department about entry of elephants in our area and how they are damaging our crops. But the department has not taken any action yet,” rued farmers. Alleging that forest squads have never come to drive away the pachyderms, villagers have threatened to gherao the forest office soon. https://argusnews.in/article/odisha/sundargarh-jumbos-destroy-vegetables-tribals-decry-inaction-by-forest-officials