For over five decades, residents of Khunti, Jharkhand, and other forested areas in the state have been living under the shadow of wild elephants. Numerous lives have been lost in elephant attacks, and property worth crores of rupees has been damaged. Despite protests including road blockades, encirclements of government offices, and rail rokos, the situation has not improved. Elephants have become so bold they now venture into towns even during the day. A proposed elephant sanctuary in the Indravan forest of Karra block, announced 15-20 years ago, never materialized. Similarly, plans for fencing and other protective measures in high-risk areas were never implemented. Villagers lament that the Forest Department’s role is limited to conducting post-mortems and providing minimal compensation to the victims’ families. The fear of elephants has forced many to abandon farming, as both crops in the fields and stored grains in homes are vulnerable.
