Elephant herd damages crops in Koderma village

Koderma villagers are facing sleepless nights due to a herd of 25-30 elephants, including calves, roaming near the Barakar river. The elephants have caused damage to standing crops in the Markachho and Jainagar areas over the last 10 days. Saumitra Shukla, the divisional forest officer (DFO), reported that the herd entered Koderma from the nearby Giridih district. He mentioned that forest teams are monitoring the situation closely to guide the elephants back to safer areas. A team of 15 forest personnel has been deployed to keep the elephants away from populated regions. Local officials, including the circle officer and block development officer, have visited the affected villages to evaluate the situation. Shukla emphasized the need to prevent any human-elephant conflict by directing the herd back into the forest. Villagers are advised to stay indoors after sunset and avoid approaching the elephants. Damage assessments for crops will be carried out once the elephants are moved to safer zones. Some villagers, like Aftab Ansari from Dasaro Khurd, expressed their frustration about the recurring threat posed by elephants in the area, which has been ongoing for over a decade. Arjun Yadav from Harlidih village also mentioned that the elephants often stay for days, causing destruction and damaging properties.