sambalpur farmers in rairakhol area of the district are having sleepless nights as rampaging elephants have been laying waste to standing crops for the past two weeks the affected farmers have adopted several measures to keep the jumbos away but in vain due rapid depletion of forests the wild elephants are straying into human habitations in search of food in past few years official reports said 10 people lost their lives during past two years due to attack by wild elephants while four pachyderms were electrocuted during the period coming in contact of live wire put up by villagers to protect their crops the elephants are raiding our paddy fields during night we are driving away the jumbos by beating drums and bursting firecrackers sometimes but it is not always possible said a villager of biswanathpur khageswar gartia the forest officials said the jumbos are entering villages due to destruction of their habitats they claimed to have taken adequate measures to keep the animals at bay we have deployed two mobile squads and four protection squads to monitor the elephants and protect human lives we have also adequate number of field staff to keep close watch on the quadrupeds said dfo rairakhol s s khara he said more than 100 elephants are moving in the area in different herds he said the department is taking immediate steps to assess extent of damage to crops with the help of revenue officials and making arrangements to provide compensation to affected farmers it has become difficult for us restrain the elephants as several herds are active in the area khara added