Chandil forest range has received Rs 28.2 lakh from the state forest department on Wednesday for making payments of compensation to the villagers for the damage of crops and houses by wild elephants in the range area.

An amount will also be given to the kin of those who were trampled to death by wild elephants during the year 2020-21.

Revealing about the fund, Chandil range officer Ashok Kumar said, “During the current financial year a total of five villagers were trampled to death, about 70 houses partially damaged and over 100 acres of paddy fields were destroyed by the migratory elephants in the range.”

"The kin of those killed by wild elephants are paid the compensation through cheques on an individual basis, but the compensation to those who suffered a loss due to damage of houses or crops are paid through banks on the advice by the forest department. The fund of Rs 28.2 lakh has reached belatedly due to the pandemic, but we will start making the payment to the victims soon," said Kumar while talking to The Telegraph Online.

The Chandil range officer also stated that in the financial year 2019-20, a total of Rs 41 lakh was disbursed to those who were the victims to elephant menace in the Chandil forest range, but in the current financial year the amount of compensation will surpass that of the last financial year.

"The Rs 28.2 lakh fund that has come for making the compensation will hardly meet the demand of the victims. We are in process of sending a fresh petition for more fund so that all the victims may get their compensation by the end of the financial year 2020-21 i.e. March 31," said the ranger.

Kumar said that the forest department has to spend a large amount of money on protecting the human lives in the man-elephant conflict area every year.

"We have to spend money on buying crackers, torch-lights and diesel oil that we provide to the villagers for keeping the herd of wild elephants away from the human habitat. Then we have to spend a large amount towards the teams of ‘mahouts’ who are engaged for driving away the migratory elephants and finally we have to pay heavy compensation to the villagers for the damage caused to the paddy crops and houses by the wild elephants, besides the compensation to the kin of those killed in the elephant attacks," said the ranger while talking to this website.

The range officer said being close to Bengal border and also close to Tamar as well as Seraikela jungle and Dalma elephant sanctuary, Chandil forest range area turns into a central place for the herds of migratory elephants to visit the area regularly.

"As the wild elephants tend to graze paddy crops and also eat up stocks of paddy, herds of migratory elephants use to enter into human habitat and destroy houses on a regular basis, often leaving a trail of destruction in the villages. The forest department has to incur heavy loss as it has to pay the compensation for every bit of damage and the destruction that the migratory wild elephants do," said Kumar, adding that the elephant menace is increasing in the Chandil forest range.