Pathanamthitta: As night falls, villages on the forest fringes of Vadasserikkara panchayat turn into playgrounds for wild elephants. With jumbos straying regularly into human habitats, fear has become a constant companion for hundreds of families. “How can anyone sleep peacefully when elephants are turning up at your doorstep?” said anxious villagers.

The latest incident occurred on Monday when a lone tusker entered the residential areas of Pezhumpara, Chirakkal and Boundary, near the MRS School. At Chirakkal, it wandered into the front yard of Pulipreth PT Mathew’s house and stood there for a long time. Only Raju and his wife were at home. Alerted by their dog’s persistent barking, they were stunned to see the elephant outside their door. It retreated only after firecrackers were burst.

Earlier, the tusker had entered the compound opposite a paint unit in Pezhumpara and by 4 am, it was spotted near Boundary MRS School, causing widespread damage. It uprooted a coconut tree on a nearby property and trampled wild turmeric grown by Puthenparambil Joyikutty.

“I switched to wild turmeric cultivation, thinking elephants wouldn’t touch it. But even that wasn’t spared. Now people avoid stepping out after sunset,” said Joyikutty, a Boundary resident.

Firecrackers no longer scare elephants
The situation is worsening. The sound of firecrackers, once effective in driving elephants away, no longer deters them. The Forest Department has deployed three to four patrol teams in the region, but their tools are limited to making loud noises.

The elephants keep returning. Their routes now extend from Areekkakavu to Pezhumparaa, Chirakkal, Boundary, Chembarathi Mood, Areekamon, Chemmarapally Thottam Olikallu Kumbalathamon, Manappattu, Mukkuzhy and even near the Medical College area. Just last Sunday, a herd reached Thalachira junction.

For over a year, elephants have been regularly straying into human settlements, particularly around Manappattu. Fear grips locals after dusk, with people now avoiding the Manorama Mukku–Kumbalathamon–Mukkuzhy road. Only recently, a father and daughter narrowly escaped an encounter with a herd.