Target tuskers

Jamshedpur, Nov. 30: Standing paddy in danger of being a jumbo snack? Throw in a chilli powder smokescreen — a devious strategy if there ever was one, conceived by Seraikela-Kharsawan forest department officials.

Elephants from Bengal, bound for their annual migratory route to Chaibasa or Saranda in West Singhbhum, are in for a tough time this year. First, paddy crops were scarce, thanks to the rain shadow. Then, a herd of 15 has been stuck at Raghunathpur jungle, 50km from Jamshedpur, under the Ichagarh block in adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district since six days now, fighting obstacles as varied as drumbeats, bursting crackers, burning tyres and smoking cow dung cakes spiced with chilli powder.

Now, chilli powder is proving to be most effective. But while the elephants are clearly unhappy, villagers and forest officials are no less troubled. The smoke of red chillies drives elephants to run amok from one village to another, triggering panic among villagers in Patkum, Birdih, Jagordih, Bawandih and Nimdih.

For authorities, the challenge lies in sending the elephants back to Bengal without harming them or villagers or their grain and property. It is an elephantine task.

Seraikela divisional forest officer Akhilesh Sharma said that ever since the herd arrived at Raghunathpur, people of adjoining villages started having sleepless nights. Sounding like he did not sleep either, he said: “The more the villagers suffer, the more our pressure increases. Traditional measures to drive away the jumbos, like drumbeats, burning tyres or crackers, etc, are no longer working. We devised the innovation of burning red chillies with cow dung cakes.” He added that cow dung cakes on a slow burn helped add more sting to the chillies.

And the resultant columns of stinging smoke is keeping elephants away from human habitation.

Villagers were also given red chilli powder and ropes to protect themselves and their fields from elephant attack. Though animal activists may have plenty to say on the methods, the herd has already damaged 10 acres of paddy fields and two houses.

“We know that villagers have grown paddy with great difficulty in the drought-hit state. Forest department officials are also distributing forms to pay compensation against damage,” said the forest officer, wondering how long the herd would stay.

Villager Prabir Mahto from Patkum village said that while every year a herd from Purulia district passed through their village, this was the first time that elephants remained stuck. “We keep vigil the whole night, as the elephants will cause havoc if they stray into our village,” said Mahto.

No sleep for the elephants either.