Team Goemkarponn
PERNEM: Panic returned to Patradevi on Sunday after confirmation that the rogue elephant known as “Omkar” had crossed into Goa once again. Forest Department officials have heightened vigilance in the region and begun tracking the animal’s movements in real time to prevent damage to fields and property. Special teams have been stationed along the border to steer the elephant back into Maharashtra.
The renewed worry comes in the wake of recent incidents involving the same elephant. Barely two months ago, Omkar rampaged through Mopa, Torsem and Tambosem, leaving extensive agricultural destruction in its trail. The elephant had also caused major crop loss across Banda, Insuli and Amboli in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district. Despite sustained efforts by Maharashtra’s forest authorities, the jumbo remained unmanageable for more than 60 days.
With Omkar now sighted in Patradevi, Pernem taluka, farmers fear the troubled period may return. Goa’s Forest Department has assured that all precautionary steps are in place and that every attempt is being made to protect farmlands and keep the situation under control.
