Tension in Dhenkanal after elephant attack kills three; villagers block road, demand action

Bhubaneswar, July 31: Tension gripped the Satmile Chhak area in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district on Thursday morning after three villagers were killed in a tragic elephant attack near Baghadharia village under Hindol police limits. In protest, angry residents blocked the Cuttack-Sambalpur road, demanding immediate compensation and stronger measures to prevent further human-wildlife conflict.

The victims—Jhulana Dehuri (55), her brother-in-law Karunakar Dehuri (60), and Sashi Sahu—were attacked by a wild elephant around 4:30 to 5:00 a.m. while heading to a nearby pond to bathe. The incident triggered widespread outrage among villagers, who alleged negligence by forest authorities despite repeated elephant intrusions in the area.

Senior officials, including SDPO Satya Kumar Nanda, Hindol IIC Charulata Behera, and Forest Ranger Gautam Pradhan, rushed to the spot to pacify the protestors. In response, the Odisha government announced ₹10 lakh ex-gratia compensation for each of the deceased families. Forester Lusimita Singh and the Forest Guard-in-Charge of Rasol Beat were suspended.

Forest Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia assured strict action against negligent officials, while Dhenkanal DFO confirmed deployment of 100 protection squad members and 25 additional volunteers to monitor elephant movement.