Hassan: For the second time in a row, a wild elephant attacked the godown of Annabhagya Rice Society at the godown of Anughatta Primary Agricultural Credit Co-operative Society in the wee hours of Wednesday February 15 to quench its hunger.
The CCTV footage of the attack was recorded. After trying to break the rolling shutter for more than an hour, the elephant finally pulled out only a sack of rice and ate half of it and then continued its journey.
The same elephant had attacked the society in April last year and ate only one bag of rice.
Forest Officials and Belur Police Station staff visited and inspected the spot.
Speaking on the occasion, Food Department officer T. Manjunath said that 50 quintals of rice and wheat have been stored in the godown under the Annabhagya scheme. Last year, too the elephant attacked the godown and ate rice.
Later, the elephant had been captured and released into the Forest of Chamarajanagara. However, the same elephant, which has been fitted with a radio collar destroyed the furniture and rolling shutter kept inside the godown during the attack,” he said.
Society Secretary Satish Kumar said the elephant ate 1 bag of rice and dragged 2 bags outside the godown and destroyed them. Around Rs. 40,000 worth items have been destroyed due to wild elephant’s attack including a rolling shutter on the society’s door, he said.
Coffee Growers’ Association President Adduri Kumar said that in the ongoing wild elephant attack in Belur Taluk, a lone elephant broke the godown shelter of Anughatta Society in Arehalli Hobli and took away the rice of the poor. Five months ago this elephant attacked coffee plantation. The coffee growers are worried by the continuous attacks as a result of the struggle of the growers’ association the government has formed a Task Force and washed its hands off,” he said.
Coffee growers have been forced to work with their lives in their hands because of the elephant attacks,” he alleged.
