MLA and officials inspect areas damaged by ‘Omkar’ elephant

Pernem MLA Pravin Arlekar and forest officials inspect the area damaged by the elephant Omkar in Mopa.

PERNEM

Pernem MLA Pravin Arlekar on Wednesday said he has contacted Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane and asked officials to take immediate action over the damage caused by the wild elephant ‘Omkar’ in and around Mopa.

According to locals, Omkar has been creating havoc in the Mopa area for the past four days, damaging agricultural fields and plantations in the Kadashi-Mopa area.

The tusker has now entered human settlements and damaged vehicles and other property, causing fear among residents.

Taking serious note of the situation, Arlekar visited the affected areas in Mopa, where farmers have suffered losses due to the elephant’s rampage.

Senior forest officials, including Kamala Dutta, Ramesh Kumar and Navin Kumar, along with Mopa Sarpanch Subodh Mahale, local citizens and farmers, were present during the visit.

“I contacted Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane and asked officials to take immediate and appropriate action regarding the destruction caused by the elephant over the past four days. The affected people will receive proper compensation from the government,” said Arlekar.

He added that similar damage had occurred earlier, and compensation was provided at that time as well.

Arlekar further said that farmers and residents on the Maharashtra side are unwilling to allow the elephant to enter their area.

Reacting to the situation, farmer and Mopa Panch Dayanand Gavandi recalled that on a previous occasion, the Omkar elephant had caused extensive damage in the Tambose-Torse region.

“The elephant has once again appeared in the Mopa area. If it returns to the Tambose-Ugve region, it will enter fields where farmers have worked hard to grow chillies and vegetables and will not hesitate to destroy the crops. The elephant must be relocated to its original habitat as soon as possible,” appealed Gavandi.