631 deaths, 4 years: Inside Odisha’s elephant conflict zone

Odisha has around 912 elephants, fewer than states like Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. But it has recorded more deaths attributed to the human-elephant conflict in comparison. By October this year alone, 75 people had died in elephant attacks. That’s beside the extensive damage caused to crops and farmland. 

To understand the scale and causes of this conflict, we spoke to researchers and local residents. 

Many believe that the surge in mining activity, stone-crushing units, and quarry operations in the region has disrupted elephant corridors. The constant noise, lights, and vehicular movement from these sites force elephants to stray into human settlements.

Researchers point out that Dhenkanal district has reported the highest number of fatalities, 129 deaths between 2021 and October 2025. On our journey from Nimidha village in Hindol block towards National Highway 55, we saw several stone-crushing units lining the route.

Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of the Wildlife Society of Odisha, said the forest department is ignoring a key issue: “Granting permission for stone quarries and blasting inside forest areas may appear legal, but these are actually elephant habitats.”

Watch.

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