Phulbani, Odisha: Over 12 acres of banana plantation grown by tribal farmers on the embankment of Rahul river in Balliguda Forest Division in Odisha’s Kandhamal district has been damaged by marauding elephants in the last one week, a forest official today said.
A herd of about 25 elephants, led by four tuskers, including five calves, went on a rampage in Khamnipada and five adjoining villages, damaging banana plants, high yield mango seedlings, vegetables and rabi crops, Balliguda Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) V Kartik said.
As many as 24 tribal farmers of Khamnipada village were given financial assistance to raise banana plants in 32 acres of land, the district officials said.
They had planted 32,000 plants in 32 acres on the embankment of Rahul river of which about 12,000 plants and 2000 high yield mango seedlings worth over Rs 5 lakh were destroyed by the jumbos.
