Antony P L, a resident of Chundal who runs ration shop number 17 at Chinnakanal is a worried man. When the elephant called 'Arikomban' was translocated in June 2023 nobody was happier than this middle-aged man. The tusker had taken a special liking to his shop.
But his relief was short-lived as another elephant called 'Chakkakomban', known for his love for jackfruits, have had a change in diet.
On the evening of March 12, Chakkakomban strutted around the ration shop three times and then broke in, shattering the hollow-brick wall and glutted himself with rice. It was the 13th time that Antony's ration shop was ransacked by elephants and goods destroyed.
On 12 earlier occasions in the past five years Antony would shift sacks of rice and other stuff from the shop to another place, see his shop being rebuilt and painted anew only to have it destroyed during one of those night outings by the elephants.
Every time his shop is destroyed, he has to shell out money for loading and unloading the goods and then pay rental for the temporary location. Anthony's shop is located in a building owned by the HML Company. The only consolation is that the company would rebuild the shop. If this is the case, it will not be possible to run a shop in this place, said Anthony.
It has been 28 years since this ration shop started operating serving 512 card holders. For residents in this area, the sighting of elephants at night has become a regular affair that they liken it to untethered cows moving around.
On March 12, people burst crackers and tried to drive away the elephant. The jumbo also destroyed a house in 301 Colony. Anthony said that by evening, the place becomes deserted and absence of people at night gives the animals a free ride.
A school and a grocery store are also located near the ration shop in Panniar Estate. Till now, these properties were guarded by a solar fencing. The elephant was smart enough to break the barrier, residents said. The tusker hurled a flagpole at the fencing making it useless. People said authorities are yet to take up the proposal to install a fencing at 301 Colony.
