A tragic incident of human-animal conflict has emerged from Chhattisgarh, where a lone tusker stormed a remote Public Works Department (PWD) construction camp deep inside the Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, killing two labourers. The attack occurred late Sunday night in an area spanning nearly 90 kilometres from the district headquarters, which faces poor mobile connectivity.
Details of the Incident
The attack took place around 11 pm near Devsil village in the Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur (MCB) district. The labourers were engaged in repairing an existing road and building a small bridge over a nullah, part of pre-monsoon infrastructure work. According to forest officials, the workers were resting after dinner when a solitary tusker suddenly emerged from the surrounding forest and charged at them.
Gaurav, a 22-year-old worker at the site, died on the spot. Another labourer, Amar Singh, aged 35, suffered severe injuries before being rescued by a forest patrolling team that was already in the area after receiving information about elephant movement. The deputy director of the tiger reserve, Saurabh Singh, told TOI that a lone tusker was behind the attack. Our staff had received inputs about its movement, and a team was on its way to alert workers and villagers in the area when the attack occurred.
Rescue and Aftermath
Forest personnel rushed the injured worker to Sonhat hospital, approximately 45 kilometres away. However, Amar Singh succumbed to his injuries en route and was declared dead by doctors upon arrival at the hospital. Officials noted that the remoteness of the area and poor mobile connectivity hampered communication efforts. It is a no-network zone across several stretches. Our teams are continuously patrolling and alerting people about elephant presence, Singh added.
The road where the labourers were working had received the required permissions for repair work and construction of drainage structures ahead of the monsoon, the official confirmed. Post-mortem examinations of the victims and the initial process to award compensation to their families were carried out on Monday. As per state norms, immediate relief of Rs 25,000 each is provided to the bereaved families, while the remaining compensation amount of Rs 5.75 lakh will be released after completion of formalities.
Rising Human-Elephant Conflict
This incident has once again highlighted the persistent challenge posed by rising incidents of human-elephant conflict in northern and remote locations of Chhattisgarh. Elephants frequently stray into villages and farms, disrupting infrastructure work and endangering lives. According to forest department data, more than 325 people have lost their lives in elephant attacks across the state over the last five years.
