DHANGADHI: The straying wild tuskers have been wreaking havoc for the past few days in Raikawar Bichawa VDC of Kanchanpur district, destroying swathes of paddy plantation nearing harvest.

The herd of elephants that strayed out into the nights have destroyed paddy planted in around 10 bigahas of land in Bichawa and Shankerpur VDCs located in the southernmost part of Kanchanpur, local Shankeri Rana said.

The locals are terrified with the herd of wild tuskers numbering around 14 to 15. The elephants are from India's Dudhwa National Park across the border and arrive at the human settlement through Kanchanpur's Laljhadi jungle.

The elephants have inflicted damages to paddy fields nearing harvest in Bichwa-7 and Shankerpur-1 and 6. As the great festival of Bada Dasain nears, the locals are worried about what they would eat during the festival, Rana added.

The locals are forced to spend sleepless nights and stay awake as the elephants mostly come at the night time.

Although the locals have already informed the police, the law enforcement personnel have done nothing to control the menace.

The locals are now preparing to form a "youth force" to fend off the attacking elephants on their field, Mohana Laljhadi Community Forest Chairman Raj Bahadur Airee said.