Ranchi News: Panic has gripped resident of residents of Itki block in Ranchi disrict after reports of an elephant allegedly killing 16 peope in past 12 days. The district administration has imposed Sec 144 in the block in a precautionary move.
Ranchi divisional forest officer Srikant Verma said that the villagers of Itki block have been asked to remain inside their houses, specially during sunrise and sunset. They have also been asked not to go close any elephant.
"Villagers are gathering near the elephant, which caused one death today. In a bid to stop them, Section 144 Cr PC has been imposed by Ranchi administration in Itki block today," Verma told news agency PTI on Tuesday.
The elephant had reportedly trampled to death four persons, including two women, in Lohardaga district on Monday and one on Sunday. It appeared to have entered Ranchi's Itki block, about 25 km from the capital city, on Monday night and reportedly killed four persons, including two women and injured one on Tuesday morning, Verma said.
According to principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) Sasikar Samanta the elephant is suspected to have killed 16 people in Hazaribag, Ramgarh, Chatra, Lohardaga and Ranchi districts in the past 12 days.
Meanwhile, the forest department has engaged an expert team from West Bengal to tackle the issue. A committee comprising of forest officers from four divisions has also been made to chalk out a strategy.
"It seems that the elephant is behaving abruptly. The committee will examine if the elephant is deliberately killing people or the people are themselves responsible for their death," Samanta said.
Man-elephant conflicts have spiked in Jharkhand with reports stating that 133 people have died in jumbo attacks in 2021-22, a steep climb from 84 in 2020-21.
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(With inputs from PTI)
