Pernem (Goa), Apr 14 (PTI) Farmers in the Pernem taluka of North Goa are having sleepless nights as a 10-year-old elephant named Omkar, back after a brief absence, is on a rampage, destroying their crops.
The jumbo has been foraging in cashew plantations and orchard farms in Mopa and surrounding villages along the Goa-Maharashtra border, a senior forest department official told PTI on Monday, adding that they were making all efforts to monitor its movements and prevent further damage.
Separated from its herd, Omkar crossed into Goa from the Maharashtra border in September last year. After attacking crops for some time, it reunited with the herd, but resurfaced in North Goa last month.
With the paddy fields ready for harvesting, farmers fear that Omkar might destroy their entire crop within a few hours.
Mopa village is home to Manohar International Airport, which is located on a plateau, while the elephant is currently sighted in the plantations below the hill.
The forest department teams have been monitoring Omkar’s movement since it returned to Goa on March 23, the official said, adding that they were maintaining ground surveillance.
“We cannot use drones to keep a track on the elephant as the village is a no-fly zone due to the Manohar International Airport located nearby,” he said.
A 25-member team of the forest department has been working overtime to track the elephant, the official maintained.
Locals complained that Omkar has been roaming around their houses, destroying farms and also damaging vehicles.
Umesh Gad, a resident of Kadshi ward in Mopa, claimed the elephant overturned his van last week and also damaged several two-wheelers.
“We cannot blame the elephant. It is entering villages in search of food as it has got separated from its herd, and forests on the Goa-Maharashtra border have witnessed a change in the plantation pattern,” said Gad, who works in the state Art and Culture Department.
The rubber plants and extensive banana plantation being done by replacing the traditional trees have forced elephants to move out of their natural habitat in search of food.
Madhusudan Samant, a farmer from Tamboxem near Mopa, said, “In September last year, the elephant was in our village for almost a week and destroyed almost the entire paddy crop.” This time, the paddy has grown fully and is ready for harvesting. “It is the result of our hard work. If Omkar enters our village and starts attacking the crop, we will suffer a major financial loss,” he said.
Another villager, Dayanand Gawandi, who is also a member of the local panchayat, said farmers are anxious. “We are having sleepless nights. We are just praying that Omkar does not come to our village,” he added.
The jumbo was first sighted in Goa on September 13 last year after straying from its herd in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, as per the forest department.
It was reported to have turned aggressive and was later linked to a human death in Maharashtra, prompting a capture order there.
Attempts were then made to push it back into the wild, but in vain, as some farmers allegedly burst crackers to drive him away, forcing him back into Goa, the official said.
An official from the Goa Agriculture Department said in September last year that they would assess the damage caused to the crops by the elephant and compensate farmers for their losses.
On September 30, 2025, Omkar returned to the forests of Maharashtra, reappeared in Goa in December, and went back again in January to reunite with the herd, as per the forest department.
The jumbo was sighted again in Goa on March 23 and has since been moving through the border areas of the coastal state, officials said. PTI RPS GK
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