Two persons were trampled to death by an elephant in Odisha’s Khordha district on Friday night, taking the total human casualties in man-elephant conflict to 96. The figure is at an all-time high in a single year (April - March) in the State.
The incident took place in Kalarajhara village and the victims were Bansidhar Chhualsingh and Sanatan Pradhan. Another person who sustained serious injuries was admitted in AIIMS, Bhubaneswar.
Multiple encounters
According to the Wildlife Society of Orissa, a non-government organisation, as many as 96 persons have been killed in more than 160 encounters with elephants since April 2019. Last year, a total of 92 persons had lost their lives in man-elephant conflicts. This year, more than 90 persons were injured.
In the last six years, 509 villagers have been killed in over 760 encounters with elephants. “With another two months left in the year, the human casualty is most likely to cross 100. Corridors and habitats have been disrupted by quarries, mines and crushers. Powerful mining and stone quarry mafia influence the administration in the State,” said Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of WSO.
