Enraged over the frequent damage to houses and crops caused by elephants, villagers in Odisha allegedly detained four forest officials for nearly six hours on Tuesday.

The villagers took matters into their own hands after forest officials failed to assure them that the elephants would stop entering their villages and no longer destroy their properties. They also demanded that compensation be paid to them at the right time, and the forest department should assure them they no longer had to face a lot of bureaucratic hassles to get the compensation amount.

The incident occurred in Aupada block of Balasore district on Tuesday morning. A herd of elephants from Kuldiha Sanctuary, adjacent to Similipal Sanctuary, strayed into the villages and caused extensive damage to the houses and crops. They destroyed two houses in Dholpur village and damaged the paddy crops.

When forest officials arrived at the spot to drive the elephants back into the dense forest of the sanctuary, the villagers detained them. The villagers insisted that the officials stay until the authorities give them a guarantee to give adequate compensation and initiate measures to prevent future elephant incursions.

“They destroyed cattle sheds and two houses in our village. Despite our previous appeals for compensation, the forest officials have failed to deliver. They direct us to visit the revenue inspector’s office, file reports, and then apply for compensation, which has become a regular hassle,” said Ajay Kumar Patra, a villager.

Forest ranger of Kuldiha Sanctuary, Pradeep Murmu, said: “We came to the spot after learning that our staff had been detained. After discussions, the villagers released them.”