Chittoor: Elephant herd destroys standing crops

Kuppam (Chittoor): A herd consisting of 5 elephants destroyed the standing crops and created panic among villagers at Malli Kunta in Kuppam mandal on Tuesday.

The pachyderms damaged different crops including paddy, tomato and floral varieties causing losses to the farmers.

According to information, the elephant herd entered into the fields from the adjacent forest area in the early hours and trampled the crops. The villagers who went to their farmlands spotted the elephants and tried to drive them away by making loud noise, but in vain.

The elephants left the fields after joyfully roaming across the fields for more than two hours.

The villagers lamented that it became a routine to them to incur heavy losses due to the entry of elephants into the agricultural fields. They expressed concern over the forest officials not responding to their repeated pleas to initiate measures to prevent the entry of tuskers into the village from forest areas.