Paonta Sahib: Panic has gripped villages in the Paonta Sahib area of Sirmaur district after a herd of wild elephants damaged standing wheat crops in Batamandi village on Tuesday night.
According to reports, the elephants destroyed nearly one bigha of wheat crop, triggering anger and fear among local farmers. This is the second major incident in the area within the past 10 days.
Fields of Pharma Fresh Company Targeted
The herd reportedly entered fields owned by the ‘Pharma Fresh’ company near the Batamandi beat and caused extensive damage under the cover of darkness. A team from the Forest Department found footprints and dung of a female elephant and her calf at the site. Officials have begun assessing the losses.
Earlier, on February 14, two elephants had damaged wheat crops belonging to several farmers in Ghutanpur village.
Forest Department Issues Advisory
Amid rising incidents of human-elephant conflict, the Forest Department has urged villagers to remain vigilant. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Paonta Sahib, Ved Prakash Sharma said a team led by forest guard Himani has been deployed in the affected area.
He advised residents not to take risks by attempting to drive away the herd themselves and instead immediately inform the Forest Department in case of sightings. The department is preparing a damage report so that compensation can be provided to affected farmers as per norms.
Fear in Residential Areas
With elephant movement increasing in forest-adjoining residential and agricultural areas, villagers are reluctant to guard their fields at night. The Forest Department has issued an alert in surrounding villages as a precautionary measure.
