People of half-a-dozen villages of V. Kota mandal, abutting the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary, are in the grip of fear because of the movement of a few elephants in their vicinity.
Villagers of Chinnasyama under Gonumakulapalle panchayat said a lone elephant was moving in the fields for the last several months.
“The the matter has been brought to the notice of the forest officials. But nothing tangible has been done to allay our fears,” the villagers complained.
Their fears compounded in the last two weeks when they reportedly sighted a herd comprising two elephants.
‘Extensive damage’
On Monday night, the herd entered a banana plantation near the village and stay put in it till the early hours of Tuesday, causing extensive damage, the villagers said.“We are not able to maintain night vigil in the fields,” lamented the farmers, and urged the Forest Department to find a lasting solution to the problem.