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Kishanganj/ Patna: For over 40 days, a herd of wild elephants has terrorised villages in Kishanganj’s Dighalbank block, damaging property, destroying crops, and creating a climate of fear among residents. On Tuesday night, the situation escalated as the herd, now split into two groups, ravaged multiple settlements across the area.
In Durga Mandir Dhantola Haat village, a kutcha house was destroyed, while fruit-bearing trees were uprooted in Thukna Basti. Locals report that the elephants have been regularly moving between the eastern maize fields of Mulabari Brahmatola and nearby habitations.
According to Deputy Chief Gautam Lal Ganesh, around 9pm on Tuesday, an elephant approached the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) camp. The alert jawans promptly activated the siren system, warning nearby villagers and forcing the elephants to change course. The herd proceeded along the Indo-Nepal road and reached Thukna Basti via the Dhantola-Dighalbank road.
In Dhantola village, the mud home of Sundar Lal Singh was left damaged. Villagers spent the night on high alert, monitoring the elephants’ movements from the surrounding maize fields. Locals from villages including Brahmatola, Pipla, Khaditola, Mulabari, Doria, Brick Kiln and Maltoli say the herd has laid waste to standing maize crops worth several lakhs, alongside causing extensive damage to both mud and concrete houses.
Despite the prolonged destruction, residents claim the Forest Department and District Administration have failed to take meaningful action. With no compensation or elephant control measures in sight, frustration is mounting among the villagers, who are now demanding immediate government intervention.
