Elephants create panic across Vindhya villages:Houses broken, crops destroyed; residents forced to leave homes and stay with relatives

The increasing movement of elephants in the Vindhya region of Madhya Pradesh has spread panic among villagers. Herds of elephants have damaged houses, destroyed food stocks and trampled crops in several villages. In many places, fear has become so intense that entire settlements have been deserted and villagers are being forced to leave their homes. For the past two weeks, a herd of elephants has been continuously moving between forests and villages in the Chuhia Valley, Gudh, and Govindgarh areas across Sidhi, Mauganj, and Rewa districts. Forest Department teams are monitoring the situation, but the continuous movement of elephants has created a serious threat for rural areas. To understand the situation on the ground, Dainik Bhaskar visited affected villages and spoke with residents living under constant fear. The newspaper also tried to understand the reasons behind this increasing elephant movement by speaking with officials from the Forest Department and wildlife experts. Maximum damage reported in Sidhi district Investigations reveal that Sidhi district has suffered the most damage due to elephant activity in the Vindhya region. In several villages, herds of elephants entered settlements at night and caused large-scale destruction. The animals broke down the walls and doors of mud (kaccha) houses and damaged household property. Grains stored inside houses, including paddy and other food stocks, were either eaten by the elephants or scattered across the floors. In nearby fields, wheat and paddy crops were trampled, destroying the farmers’ hard work. Due to the fear of elephants entering villages at night, residents have started staying awake throughout the night to guard their homes and fields. Entire settlement evacuated in Padkhuri village Fear of elephants forced residents of Padkhuri village in Sidhi district to evacuate their settlement. Villagers say they had no option but to leave their homes and move to the houses of relatives in nearby safer areas. According to them, a herd of elephants has been roaming continuously in the region, posing a threat to both life and property. Fear increases as night falls, because elephants mostly enter villages during the night. Many families have therefore shifted temporarily to other places along with children and elderly members. Residents Rambai Bansal, Rajkumar Bansal, Babbu Bansal, Rajesh Bansal and Sonu Bansal said panic spread across the village after reports of elephants moving nearby. Villagers said, We live in a temporary settlement, so the danger is greater. Due to fear, we have had to leave our homes and take shelter with relatives. They said the herd usually enters the village at night and returns to the forest at dawn. Because such incidents have been occurring repeatedly, many villagers are leaving their homes at night and taking shelter in safer locations. Villagers stay awake all night in Mauganj district After creating havoc in Sidhi district, the herd of elephants has now moved towards several villages in Mauganj district. Here too, elephants have damaged houses in many villages. They destroyed grain and food reserves stored in homes and also trampled crops in the fields. Fear has forced villagers to adopt unusual methods to protect themselves. People now stay awake throughout the night, beating drums and trumpets and lighting torches to scare the elephants away. Meanwhile, teams of the Forest Department are continuously tracking the elephants’ movement and advising villagers to remain alert. Panic and traffic disruption in Rewa’s Chuhia valley The herd has also moved towards Rewa district, reaching the areas of Chuhia Valley, Gudh, and Govindgarh. The presence of elephants has even affected road traffic in the region. At one point, a herd camped inside the forest area near the valley, forcing authorities to stop vehicle movement on the highway in the morning. As a result, traffic remained disrupted for several hours and travellers faced inconvenience. Nearby villages also reported damage to crops, as elephants moved through agricultural fields. For safety reasons, the Forest Department temporarily stopped traffic so the elephants could move safely back towards forest areas. Radio-collared elephant that killed 3 people active again Electricity supply shut down as precaution Understand the fear of elephants in 6 points Pattern of Elephant movement in MP Wildlife experts say that Singrauli district in Madhya Pradesh and Surguja district in Chhattisgarh are almost connected through dense forest areas. Because of this forest corridor, elephants can easily move between the two states. Chhattisgarh–Vindhya elephant corridor The distance between Singrauli and Ambikapur, the main city of Surguja division in Chhattisgarh, is about 200 kilometres. However, Wadrafnagar, a border area of Surguja, is only about 120 kilometres from Singrauli. Dense forests connect these regions, allowing wildlife to move freely between states. Although Sidhi district does not directly border Surguja, the forests of Balrampur, Surajpur and Koriya districts in Surguja division connect with the forests of Singrauli and Sidhi. Because of this ecological connectivity, the region is known as the “Chhattisgarh–Vindhya Elephant Corridor.” Two major routes used by Elephants Route 1 Route 2 Elephants stay in one area for 15–20 days Wildlife experts say, Herds usually stay in one region for 15 to 20 days. After that, they move towards another forest area depending on the availability of food and water. Forest department increases surveillance Why is elephant movement increasing? Experts say several factors are responsible for the rising movement of elephants in the Vindhya region. The most important reason is deforestation and declining food availability inside forests. Other reasons include the creation of new elephant corridors, expansion of forest areas, environmental changes, and increased wildlife movement along the Chhattisgarh–Madhya Pradesh border forests. Because of these factors, the Vindhya region is gradually becoming a new habitat for elephants. Forest Department Monitoring the Situation DFO Lavkesh Nirapure said, At present information is available about the movement of two elephants in Rewa, which have come from Bandhavgarh forests.These elephants are being continuously tracked. People are being advised to remain alert and avoid forest areas.Announcements are being made in villages near forest areas, and surveys are being conducted to assess crop damage.After the survey, a list of affected farmers will be prepared under the supervision of the district collector. Uncertainty continues Due to the constant movement of elephants, residents across the Vindhya region of Rewa division are living in fear. It remains unclear how long the elephants will stay in the region. Senior forest official Hiralal Singh said, The movement of elephants depends entirely on natural conditions.“Their movement depends on the availability of food and water. At present the herd is continuously changing its location, so it is difficult to predict how long they will stay in this area. Whenever we receive information about their presence, forest staff immediately reach the spot.”For now, the people of Vindhya continue to live under the shadow of fear as the elephant movement shows no sign of stopping