‘Lost’ elephant tramples two women in Srikakulam district

SRIKAKULAM: In another episode of man-animal conflict in Srikakulam, that has been on since 2007, an elephant trampled and killed two women in the district on Monday.
The deceased have been identified as Savara Gayaramma (53) and Savara Bodemma (65) from Seethampeta mandal.
Speaking to TOI, Srikakulam district forest officer Ch Santhi Swaroop said that four female elephants have been roaming near Seethampeta mandal in search of water. The elephant who attacked the two women in the pineapple field seem to have got separated from its herd. While it crushed Gayaramma to death, Bodemma escaped with injuries, he said
Swaroop further said that a herd of 11 elephants had entered Srikakulam district in 2007 from Lakheri forests of Odisha. Seven elephants have died due to various reasons, including electrocution, in the last 12 years.
“Only four elephants are presently roaming the Vizianagaram-Srikakulam bordering forest. All of them are aged around 12-14 years and are female,” Swaroop added.
“The forest department will provide a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each deceased and take appropriate precautionary measures,” Swaroop told TOI.
It was found out that after locals came upon an injured Bodemma, they rushed her to the Rajiv Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Srikakulam town where she was declared dead in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, on learning about the incident, Seethampeta Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) project officer L Shiva Shankar called on the kin of the deceased.
Speaking on the occasion, Shankar said that an alert has been issued regarding the elephants. He said that all necessary steps like compensation and benefits from the ITDA would be extended to the kin of the deceased.
With these two deaths the number of people killed by the elephants in the last 12 years, in both Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts, comes to 13. The district forest officer said that the department has paid a compensation of around Rs 83 lakh to the kin of the deceased and for the destruction of crops in nearly 250 acres.