Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane clarified that there is no proposal before the state government to shift the elephant Omkar to Vantara.
He said discussions are ongoing with Karnataka authorities to facilitate Omkar’s return to his natural habitat, with assistance from other captive elephants. The operation is expected to begin after Dussehra.
The elephant, separated from its herd for several weeks, has caused significant damage to banana, coconut, and paddy plantations in villages along the Goa-Maharashtra border, leaving farmers distressed.
Addressing their concerns, Rane assured that “all affected farmers will be compensated in every possible way.”
Forest teams have been closely monitoring Omkar’s movements, taking precautionary measures to prevent further crop losses and avoid untoward incidents.
“Omkar is wild and currently roaming in fields. Our immediate concern is to avoid any man-animal conflict. If the natural return route fails, we will have to consider other alternatives,” a forest official said.
The elephant, notorious in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district where it was allegedly linked to the death of a farmer, has crossed into Goa twice in the past week—first through Mopa and later through Tambose. Each time, villagers across the border drove it back, forcing Omkar into Goa again.
With tensions rising in the border belt, forest teams are intensifying efforts to de-escalate the situation and reunite Omkar with its herd in Maharashtra in the coming days.
