Elephants damage paddy crop in Odisha villages

A herd of seven elephants has damaged standing paddy crop in a number of villages in Gajapati district of Odisha.

Forest officials have been asked to assess the loss of the affected farmers, Gajapati district collector Sudhansu Mohan Samal said.

The herd strayed into the villages under Goshani block near Paralakhemundi yesterday and it might have migrated from Lakhari elephant reserve via Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, Divisional Forest Officer, Berhampur, A K Behera, who is also the in-charge of Paralakhemundi Forest Divicion said.

The jumbos did not cause any loss to life, he said.

"The farmers will be compensated in accordance with government provision," the district collector said.

The DFO said forest personnel were keeping a strict vigil on the movement of the herd, he said. PTI COR SKN MM LNS

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