West Singhbhum villages seek higher compensation in deaths caused by elephants

Jamshedpur: The residents of several villages in West Singhbhum, where the single-tusked elephant trampled 20 people to death between Jan 1-10 this year, on Saturday protested against the forest department and demanded higher compensation for the kin of the deceased.Led by the Adivasi Kisan Mazdoor Party (AKMP), locals protested in Nimdih village under Tonto block on Saturday. “What is the point in having so many forest officials when they can’t drive away the elephant and avert the killings,” said John Miral Munda of AKMP.Nineteen villagers and one rescue squad member from West Bengal were killed by the elephant across Goilkera, Noamundi, Majhgaon and Tonto blocks of the district. The elephant has not been sighted in the district since Jan 10.Locals blamed the state govt for the indiscriminate felling of trees by timber mafias in Saranda Forest and mining for rising elephant attacks in villages, which is causing deaths and damaging properties and harvest. “The marauding tusker’s violent attacks is an unprecedented thing to happen in our district in recent memory but otherwise we are experiencing elephant herds attacks on our houses, fields and on our people on a regular basis. Why is this happening,” said local resident Mohan Tudu, one of the agitators.Mohan and others claimed that while Odisha govt provides ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of those killed in elephant attacks, the amount provided by Jharkhand govt (Rs 4 lakh) is paltry.The protests came as forest department ramped up its awareness drive in the area. Audio messages in Hindi and Ho languages are being circulated on Whatsapp and aired on radio stations.“We have also appealed to the people to download the Mera Hati 2.0 app in their mobile phones to get updates on the location of the movement of herds in the vicinity,” regional chief conservator of forest (RCCF) Smita Pankaj.