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The Kharif harvest is typically a season of celebration, but for villagers in Odisha, it brings a looming threat of destruction. Each year, wild elephants from Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh cross into the state’s borders, drawn by ripening crops and shrinking habitats. What should be a time of abundance often turns into a period of vigilance and loss as these majestic animals clash with human communities in their search for food and shelter.
Human-elephant conflict is on the rise in Odisha due to the migration of elephants from neighbouring states. This year, as of October, 76 wild elephants have died in Odisha, and 755 human deaths were reported from elephant encounters between 2019 and October 2024.
“These elephants are a real menace now. They kill our people, injure us, and destroy our crops. The government hardly does anything,” said Sarat Munda of Raipal village, under the Rasagobindpur block in Mayurbhanj district.
Elephants from Jharkhand and West Bengal cause extensive damage to paddy crops during the harvesting season, and this happens regularly. In addition to damaging crops, wild elephants often raid granaries in their search for food. “Farmers are deeply worried about the increasing menace of wild elephants in the region,” said Raju Pradhani of Ambagadia village in Betnoti block, Mayurbhanj district.
The pachyderms frequently stray from forests in Jharkhand into bordering villages in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts. Similarly, elephants from West Bengal migrate to Balasore and Mayurbhanj, while those from Chhattisgarh enter other bordering areas of Odisha.
Rampant mining in Jharkhand is a major cause of the destruction of elephant corridors and vital habitats essential for long-ranging species like the Indian elephant. Mining and stone quarrying have also led to the drying up and siltation of natural streams, waterfalls, and rivulets in the neighbouring state, forcing elephants to venture into Odisha in search of food. This has put both human and elephant lives in danger.
“These wild jumbos are now killing people. The large-scale air, water, and noise pollution caused by the mines is evident to anyone and needs immediate attention from the judiciary, government, media, and environmentalists,” said Biswajit Mohanty, Secretary of the Wildlife Society of Odisha. “The government’s failure to provide relief to affected people, despite persistent efforts, is deeply unfortunate.”
To protect their crops, forest personnel and farmers in West Bengal drive elephants away, which often forces the animals into villages in Odisha. Only a few elephants migrate from Chhattisgarh, Mohanty noted.
For decades, herds of elephants have crossed state borders during seasonal migrations. “With growing human populations, urban areas have consumed increasing amounts of forest and rural land, leading to heightened competition between humans and wildlife for the same territories,” said Mohanty.
On August 17, 2021, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), acting on a petition filed by the Wildlife Society of Odisha, directed the Odisha government to notify 14 elephant corridors within two months amidst growing calls for conservation and protection efforts. Odisha has the largest population of elephants in eastern India.
Elephants, by nature, migrate across vast areas in search of food and to propagate their species. Recognising this, a Task Force set up by the Government of India released a report titled Gajah in August 2010. The report recommended notifying elephant corridors as ecologically sensitive zones under Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
In 2012, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden of Odisha proposed the notification of 14 traditional elephant corridors in the state under the same Act. However, no action has been taken to date, and the proposal remains stuck in bureaucratic delays, according to Mohanty.
According to the 2024 Odisha Elephant Census, 2,098 elephants were recorded across 38 forest divisions, an increase of 122 from the 2017 count of 1,976. Elephants are drawn to Odisha's dense forests, rich in fruit-bearing trees, standing crops, and vegetable cultivation.
In some areas, drones are being deployed to monitor wild elephants and their habitats. Anti-depredation forces have also been stationed in regions prone to elephant attacks. Inter-state coordination committee meetings on elephants are being held regularly to address the challenges posed by migrating herds, said Susanta Nanda, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Odisha Forest Department.