Elephants caused havoc at the Bangursia paddy procurement center, eating 15 sacks of paddy.

Raigarh. In Raigarh district, the menace of elephants at the Bangursia paddy procurement center has become a serious concern for farmers and employees. Within the last two days, a herd of elephants ate approximately 15 sacks of paddy stored at the procurement center, while also scattering and completely ruining many other sacks. This incident has resulted in financial losses for the farmers and raised questions about the security of the paddy procurement system. According to reports, a herd of elephants entered the Bangursia paddy procurement center premises late at night. Seeing the sacks of paddy kept in the open, the elephants entered the center and began lifting the sacks and eating the grain. The presence of the large elephants caused panic among the employees and nearby villagers. Fortunately, no casualties were reported during the incident.

It is reported that the herd of elephants roamed the procurement center premises for a considerable time. The elephants ate the paddy from about 15 sacks, while scattering and completely spoiling many others. This has also affected the quality of the paddy. The farmers say that this paddy is the fruit of their hard work, which they had brought to the center to sell at the support price. The entire incident was captured on the CCTV cameras installed at the paddy procurement center. In addition, some villagers also recorded videos of the elephants’ rampage on their mobile phones. These videos are now rapidly going viral on social media, clearly showing the elephants fearlessly damaging the sacks of paddy and roaming the premises. Local farmers and employees say that elephant movement has been observed in this area before, but this is the first time the paddy procurement center has been targeted in this way.

The villagers allege that there are insufficient security arrangements at the paddy procurement center. Due to the paddy being stored in the open, wild animals can easily enter the premises. The forest department has also been informed about the incident. Villagers are demanding that the forest department conduct regular patrols around the paddy procurement center and take concrete measures to keep elephants away from populated areas. They are also demanding a boundary wall, a strong gate, and the deployment of security personnel at the procurement center at night. Farmers say that if security measures are not strengthened in time, even greater losses could occur. This paddy procurement season is crucial for farmers, and such incidents could further weaken their financial situation. Administrative officials say that they are looking into the matter and will assess the damage. They will also monitor the movement of elephants in coordination with the forest department. Currently, farmers at the Bangursia paddy procurement center are terrified by the elephant menace and are demanding immediate action from the administration.