Hundreds of schools remained closed in Jajpur district of Odisha on Friday as an elephant trampled two persons to death.
The district administration on Thursday declared a holiday for primary and high schools in the Korei, Danagadi and Sukinda blocks, apprehending that the elephant could veer towards habitations.
Second attack
Ishwar Das of Godipatana and Chintamani Ram of Radhapatana died in an attack, three days after the elephant killed a person.
The Forest and Environment Department has constituted a team to track the elephant. “We have planned to tranquillise it,” Debendra Patnaik, a Forest Ranger of Jajpur Road, said.
The loss of human lives in elephant attacks in the State has crossed the 100-mark, for the first time, in the current year, between April and March.
102 deaths
According to Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO), which keeps a tab on the human-elephant conflict, 102 persons have died.
“Such a high number of human deaths has only pushed villagers to retaliate. This is contributing to the alarming number of unnatural deaths of elephants...,” WSO secretary Biswajit Mohanty said.
“It is high time the apex body for elephant conservation in India woke up to the alarming situation and took steps. Project Elephant should immediately constitute a committee of experts and conservationists to assess the situation, identify the reasons for human deaths and suggest short-term and long-term solutions,” he said.
