Bhopal: Elephants kill 5 in Shahdol; Alert sounded in villages

BHOPAL (Madhya Pradesh): Taking note of elephants killing five people in Shahdol districts, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed concern over the loss of human life caused by the movement of herd elephants in the district.

CM in a meeting on Thursday took an update and also reviewed the precautions being taken to ensure no further loss of life in the district due to the elephants. Chouhan directed Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains and Principal Secretary Forest Ashok Varnwal to keep an eye on the situation and take all necessary precautions.

The CM was apprised that the movement of elephants usually increases during Mahua season. Taking precautions, the forest department staff has been deployed to keep an eye on the herd of elephants. Villagers have been alerted.

A warning has been issued to the villagers by the district administration. Also, for the safety of the families living in isolated houses, arrangements have been made for their stay in Panchayat buildings. To deal with such a situation, in collaboration with voluntary organizations and Wildlife Trust of India, training has also been provided to the residents of the area in the past.

A herd of elephants had killed three villagers, who had gone to collect Mahua in a forest of Jaisingh Nagar in Shahdol district, on Wednesday. A couple was trampled to death by a herd of nine wild elephants in Jaisingh Nagar of the district on Tuesday.

On Wednesday morning, Balle Singh Kanwar, 50, his wife Lalita Kanwar, 48, and his sister-in-law Devi Singh, 38, all residents of Bansa village went to collect Mahua in the forest of Jaisingh Nagar when a herd of elephants trampled them and damaged a warehouse in the area. All three died on the spot. On Tuesday, the herd of elephants killed Moti Lal Basor, 32, and his wife Mulia Bai, 30, residents of Chitrao village, who had gone to a forest of Jaisingh Nagar to collect Mahua.