Women Lying on the Ground, Men Walking Over Them: What Is the Significance?

In the Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh, the traditional Dev Madai fair was organized, inviting various deities from nearby areas, as well as community leaders such as Dang Dori, Baiga, Sirha, and Gayta priests, to come together for a collective celebration of the fair. During the festival, hundreds of women seeking fertility laid down on their stomachs at the temple of Maa Angarmoti, while members of the Baiga tribe walked over them. This practice is known as Paran. Belief and Significance of the Ritual It is believed that by participating in this ritual, women can be blessed with children. The women lay on their stomachs, offering lemons, coconuts, and other sacred items as part of the prayer, with the belief that when a Baiga's foot touches them, they will be blessed by Maa Angarmoti with fertility. The practice is deeply rooted in local traditions and is seen as a way for women to seek blessings for motherhood, as they trust that the goddess will fulfill their desires for a child. Madai Fair Organized After Diwali The Madai fair is held every year on the first Friday after Diwali, an event where the deities from 52 villages participate. According to Jeevrakhan Marai, the president of the Adishakti Maa Angarmoti Trust, Maa Angarmoti is revered as the forest goddess and is considered the clan deity of the Gond community. Hundreds of years ago, she was believed to reside on the banks of the Mahanadi river and in the border areas of the villages of Chhavar, Batrel, Kokri, and Koralma, where the local people would perform rituals to honor her. It was through the priests and devotees of the Gond community that Maa Angarmotis service and worship continued. The tradition of organizing the fair after Diwali has been carried out for centuries and was reinstated at Gangerel after the construction of the dam. The fair is celebrated with reverence and adherence to ancient customs, with the local community participating actively in the rituals. Women Seeking Blessings Visit the Temple On the day of the fair, childless women gathered in large numbers at the temple of Maa Angarmoti to perform the Paran ritual. Devotees believe that the goddess enters the body of the Sirha and roams the fairground. The day of the Madai is considered the most significant in the area, attracting hundreds of people who come to partake in the sacred rites of the community, which are deeply tied to the tribal traditions. Women Lying in Reverence, Baigas Moving Forward Over 300 women gathered at the temple that day, asking for blessings for children. The women stood in line holding coconuts, incense, and lemons in their hands as they waited their turn. On the ground, those who were lying on their stomachs were walked over by Baiga men, who performed the ritual. It is said that the Baiga priests, who are believed to be possessed by the goddess, move in a trance-like state, swaying to the rhythm of the drums. As they approached, all the women lying on the ground laid down in reverence, allowing the Baigas to pass over them as they moved toward the temple. The Belief Behind the 52 Villages and the Goddess's Blessing According to ancient stories, Maa Angarmoti is known as the deity of 52 villages. People from these villages, when facing difficulties, visit her temple to pray, and once their wishes are fulfilled, they perform a special prayer on the Friday following Diwali. Childless women particularly visit the temple, asking the goddess for maternal blessings, and they believe that the goddess blesses them with children. Historically, when the construction of the Gangrel Dam was announced in 1965, the inhabitants of 52 villages were displaced to make way for the large reservoir. Following the submergence of these villages, in 1974-75, the idol of Maa Angarmoti was relocated by devotees and priests to the village of Khidkitola, using a bullock cart. After discussions among the community leaders, the goddess was eventually re-established on the banks of Gangrel. Since then, the worship and service of Maa Angarmoti have continued in this location. Modern Developments and Environmental Initiatives Today, facilities for devotees, such as drinking water, toilets, and resting sheds, are provided at the temple site. As Gangrel Dam has become a tourist spot, the area around Maa Angarmotis temple has been declared a plastic-free zone to promote environmental consciousness and cleanliness. This initiative is part of efforts to maintain a sustainable and welcoming environment for the thousands of visitors who come to worship and celebrate the annual fair. Skye Air Transforms Healthcare Delivery with Drone Technology Under Ayushman Bharat Scheme Boost Your Immune System with These Zinc-Rich Foods Be cautious when drinking tea made with raw milk, as it can worsen health issues

Confiscated cannabis converted into biomass for power in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: Its often seen that investigating agencies set seized marijuana (cannabis) ablaze in the open to destroy it. It is a part of the agencies operations and procedures. However, in the Chhattisgarh capital Raipur, the police have found a novel way to turn massive amounts of confiscated cannabis (locally cited as ganja), worth several crores of rupees, into productive use in an eco-friendly way. Several tons of marijuana confiscated in thousands of cases under the NDPS Act in recent months across various districts of the Raipur Division were eliminated by being burnt in a power plant boiler, in accordance with the given legal provisions. The Raipur Division includes the districts of Mahasamund, Baloda Bazar, Gariyaband, Dhamtari and the capital, Raipur. Besides cannabis, other seized narcotic substances and drugs were also destroyed. The finishing action was carried out in the presence of the high-powered drug disposal committee constituted by the police headquarters, under the guidance of Raipur Range Inspector General Amresh Mishra, and paved the way to facilitate freedom from drug abuse in society. The destruction process, for which the approval from the environment department was also taken, was carried out amid the presence of the Raipur IG, SSP and other officials at the Siltara-based private power plant close to the state capital. The environment-friendly and productive practice of disposing of confiscated cannabis and other narcotic substances will continue, said Mishra. The seized cannabis were collected at the plant, where, after segregation, the narcotic materials were kneaded into a boiler through bucket elevators for direct combustion of biomass. With the marijuana being produced from the cannabis herbaceous flowering plant, experts cited it as good byproduct biomass to generate electricity. The open burning of cannabis poses serious threats to air quality. Usually, for generating 10 MW of power, around 20 tons of biomass is required. The boiler in the plant produces high-pressure steam, which, through the turbine blades, drives a generator to produce electricity, said officials of the power plant. The initiative can be replicated to achieve a similar result in other areas too.

Three girls drown in pond in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari

The incident of the three girls death in a pond, took place on Tuesday in Belargaon village under Sihawa police station area of Chhattisgarh.

3 girls drown in pond in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari

Dhamtari: Two sisters and another minor girl drowned in a pond in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place on Tuesday in Belargaon village under Sihawa police station area, a police official here said. As per preliminary information, one of the victims slipped into deep waters while bathing and the two others tried to save her, but all of them drowned, he said. After being alerted, a police team reached the spot and the bodies of the victims - one 18-year-old and two aged 14 - were fished out with the help of locals, the official said. An accidental death report has been registered in this connection, the official said, adding that further investigation was underway.

MP: CRPF Jawan Killed, 4 Hurt As Vehicle Hits Tree

Bhopal : A CRPF jawan was on Sunday killed and four others were injured when the vehicle in which they were travelling hit a roadside tree in a village in Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh, police said. The incident took place in Kudan village under Birsa police station at around 7.30 am. The security personnel belonging to CRPFs seventh battalion were travelling in a Bolero for deployment in an anti-Naxal operation in a nearby forest when the incident took place, Balaghat district superintendent of police Nagendra Singh said. Reinforcements were rushed to the spot to rescue the injured security personnel trapped inside the vehicle which was badly damaged following the incident. The injured were rushed to the nearby Machhurda hospital and later referred to a specialised hospital in Gondia in Maharashtra, police said. According to Birsa police station in-charge Rewal Singh Barde, the CRPF personnel started from their camp at Machhurda for anti-Naxal operations. While one team of CRPF personnel was travelling in a Bolero, the other jawans were travelling in a bus. The driver of Bolero lost control of the vehicle and hit it at a roadside tree, leading to the tragedy, he said. The slain jawan has been identified as Tarakeswar (23), a resident of Dhamtari in Chhattisgarh. The injured CRPF personnel have been identified as Inspector Umesh, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Yadunandan Paswan, ASI Birju Das, and Constable Rakesh Yadav.

MP: CRPF jawan killed, 4 injured in accident at Balaghat

Bhopal: A jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was killed and four others were injured when their patrolling vehicle hit a tree in Naxalite-affected Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, October 13 police said. Tarkeshwar (22), a native of Dhamtari in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, was killed on the spot, and four others sustained Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Experts, policymakers deliberate on water conservation strategies in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: A two-day International Water Conference in Chhattisgarhs Dhamtari perceived effective strategies and actionable plans as the need of the hour to be pursued for water conservation and management. Policymakers, environmentalists, experts and representatives from various national and international organisations extensively engaged in dialogues with thought-provoking insights and conversation plans to evolve strategies and practices to ensure meeting the human needs on water under the banner of Jal Jagar (Water Awakening) initiative. The event was held at the bank of Ravishankar reservoir (Gangrel Dam) on October 5-6 in Dhamtari district, about 80 km from Raipur. The experts and environmentalists shared success stories from their respective regions, fields, urging the people to undertake doable sustainable measures like rainwater harvesting, efficient irrigation and agricultural practices to reduce water usage, wastewater recycling, and watershed management among others. Jal Jagar campaign under the initiative of the state government will be a powerful approach to address the water crisis in both rural and urban areas. If we all work together, our future will be secured by overcoming the water scarcity, affirmed Vishnu Deo Sai, Chhattisgarh chief minister. The need was felt for a multi-faceted approach and community involvement as the environmentalist Padma Shri awardee Umashankar Pandey remarked that water shouldn't just be a government concern but equally the peoples responsibility too. We cannot create water, but we can certainly conserve it, he added. Maninder Kaur Dwivedi, additional secretary, ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare, highlighted how Dhamtari has a long-standing tradition of water conservation. She emphasised developing more such varieties of rice as seen in Dhamtari and adopting alternative crops that required reduced usage of water. Archana Verma, additional secretary, ministry of Jal Shakti asserted that public participation is vital for the success of water conservation initiatives as she lauded the Jal Jagar initiative that connects people with conservation efforts. Noted economist and urban development expert Prof Amitabh Kundu appreciated the first of its kind district-level event organised at such magnitude and dedicated to water conservation. The engaging discussions also focused on emerging serious water challenges in the country amid the climate change patterns, fast growing urban areas, severe pollution and poor management. Dhamtari was chosen to organise the international event owing to the districts major success in championing water conservation and groundwater replenishment against the drought. The movement to conserve the water and increase groundwater levels commenced in Dhamtari after it was earmarked among one of the 151 districts vulnerable to water scarcity in the county in 2021. Besides water conservation with public participation, the district also witnessed crop cycle transformation.

C'garh: Centre Approves 11,000 Crore Road Infra Projects for C'garh

Raipur: The Union government on Monday approved projects worth Rs 11,000 crore for development of road infrastructure in Chhattisgarh. Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari made the announcement at a review meeting with Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai at Delhi, an official spokesman of the state government said. This funding will support the development of four major national highways, which are billed to transform the states transport landscape and promote industrial growth, the spokesman said. Along with this, the Centre has given its consent to prepare DPR (detailed project report) of other projects, proposed by the state government. The four major projects cleared included Urga-Katghora bypass (NH-149B), Basna to Sarangarh feeder route, Sarangarh to Raigarh feeder route, and Raipur-Lakhnadon economic corridor. The total length of these projects is 236.1 km, for which a sum of Rf 9208 crore has been approved. At the same time, eight works worth Rs 908 crore have been sanctioned under the Central Road Fund (CRF). The Centre has also cleared the four-lane widening work of Keshkal Ghat and Dhamtari-Jagdalpur road. Instructions were given by the Union minister to complete the Raipur-Visakhapatnam road and Bilaspur-Urga-Pathalgaon road under National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) within the time limit. Apart from this, an additional amount of Rs 1200 crore has been approved for the development of roads.

Parastarai village leads water conservation revolution in Chhattisgarh

Raipur: A drought-prone village in Chhattisgarhs Dhamtari district has hogged limelight for showing the way for conservation of water. Identified as one of the 150 districts across the country facing serious crisis of groundwater depletion in 2022, Parastarai village, around 80 km from here, has now turned a model village for water conservation, thanks to the community-driven initiative by the villagers to go for crop diversification by shunning the practice of two-paddy crop a year. The depletion of groundwater was identified in a survey conducted by the Jal Shakti Mantralaya in 2022. It highlighted the irony that despite being surrounded by four dams- three in Dhamtari district and one in neighbouring Kanker district, the water level was depleting due to practice of intensive paddy cropping in Rabi and Kharif seasons. Hence, an awareness was created among the farmers to adopt the practice of crop rotation by going for one-paddy crop and choosing pulses and oilseed as second and third crop in a year, a senior district officer said on Sunday. Paddy is known as a water intensive crop while pulses and oilseed crops require less water. The initiative has reaped huge benefits for the village in terms of improvement in groundwater levels and inspired other villages to emulate the practice, local sarpanch Parmanand Adil said. The village comprising 300 families has earlier been identified as perennially drought prone despite being situated close to the Ravishankar Reservoir. All the villagers have collectively decided that any farmer who sows paddy during the Rabi season will incur a fine of Rs 27,000 per acre. Additionally, in Rabi season, if the water from paddy fields will flow into other farmers fields of pulses and oilseeds then the paddy grower will face an extra fine of Rs 37,000 per acre, Mr Adil said. The punitive measure has proved to be an effective deterrent for the farmers in shunning the practice of two-paddy crops a year, he added. The improvement in groundwater levels in many villages, including Parastarai, is a result of villagers environmental awareness. Dhamtari district has now emerged from the endangered category concerning groundwater, Dhamtari district collector Namrata Gandhi said. Dhamtari is hosting a two-day Jal Jagar Maha Utsav from October five this year to showcase the achievements of Parastarai in water conservation.

How Chhattisgarh village fought water crisis with conservation efforts

RAIPUR: Village Parstarai, once afflicted by severe water scarcity in Chhattisgarhs Dhamtari district, has emerged as an exemplar of water conservation and crop cycle transformation, embodying the vision under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan. A few years ago, Parstarai grappled with drought and a severe water shortage. The groundwater levels in the region had significantly declined and the crisis led to routine crop failures resulting in a significant drop in farmers incomes. To combat the existing challenge, the village chief Parmanand Adil and local community leaders initiated the Jal Jagr' campaign in their habitat. Efforts were made to conserve rainwater through the construction of soak pits and rainwater harvesting practices in every household. Water conservation measures were also introduced in public places and even in the schools of the village. The awareness was created to recognise the importance of water conservation among the villagers. The move gradually led to a notable increase in groundwater levels with the installation of rainwater harvesting systems and soak pits in Parstarai, said officials associated with the State Ground Water Survey. With water conservation practices adopted, the farmers of the village also switched from water-intensive paddy crops to drought-resistant crops thereby transforming their crop cycle. Now the local agrarian community cultivate pulses, oilseeds, chickpeas, mustard, moong and urad among others. Instead of relying only on paddy, we now grow crops that require less water. This has helped in our efforts aimed to conserve water and also boosted our income, says Ramnarayan Sahu, a local farmer. Impressed with the achievement of the villagers, the state government has decided to observe it as Jal Jagr Mahotsav to be held in Dhamtari on October 5-6. The festival will spread a strong message on the village's water conservation model across the nation and will provide a platform for extensive discussions and awareness campaigns. The Parstarais success story on water conservation will be presented as a village model to global inspiration, said the chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai. In addition to water conservation, Parstarai has incorporated environmental protection into its traditions. A unique initiative has been launched in the village where a fruit-bearing tree is planted for every daughter and daughter-in-law. The practice promotes both environmental protection and social consciousness.

Nine Maoists killed in fierce encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: Nine Maoists were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in the forested terrain along the inter-district border of Dantewada and Bijapur in south Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, according to Bastar police. Acting on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of Maoists from the West Bastar division in the area, a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched a search operation. A fierce gunfight ensued at around 10:30 am between the security forces and the Maoists during the operation. Nine bodies of armed rebels in uniform, along with the weapons, have been recovered from the site. The intermittent firing still continues while the search operation in the region remains underway, the police stated. There have been no reports of any injuries sustained by the forces. A large quantity of weapons, including a Self-Loading Rifle, .303 Rifle, and .315 Bore Rifle, along with other items belonging to the Maoists, have been recovered. Further details are awaited. This encounter is part of the ongoing strategy to free the conflict-ridden Bastar zone from the influence of the banned outfit CPI (Maoist). So far, 156 Maoists have been neutralized by security forces this year in Chhattisgarh, with 154 killed in the Bastar zone and the remaining two in Dhamtari district.

Chhattisgarh govt announces interest-free loans for students from Maoist-affected districts

RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government announced to offer interest-free loans for technical and professional courses taken by economically weaker students who hail from the Maoist-affected districts. The benefit of the initiative on interest-free loans will be applicable only for students whose family has a gross annual income of up to Rs two lakh. The new scheme named Mukhyamantri Ucch Siksha Rinn Byaj Anudan Yojna will be extended to students pursuing various technical and professional courses. The maximum loan amount under the given scheme will be Rs 4 lakh and the various studies in which the students can enrol include 35 technical and other professional courses at the diploma, graduate and post-graduate level. The eligible students from the Maoist-affected districts of Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Jashpur, Kanker, Koriya, Narayanpur, Rajnandgaon, Sarguja, Dhamtari, Mahasamund, Gariyaband, Balod, Sukma, Kondagaon and Balrampur, will be entitled to interest-free education loans for the given courses under the new scheme, the officials said. The students belonging to poor families and native of the districts not having the impact or presence of left-wing extremism will also get the benefits of the new initiative at only a one percent interest rate. Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai has instructed the collectors to ensure the maximum number of students who are deserving should access the benefit of the scheme. There should be special campaigns to promulgate the yojana among students, particularly in Maoist-affected districts of the state, the CM told the collectors. Chhattisgarh state technical education department to monitor the scheme The state technical education department has been made the nodal agency to execute, monitor and carry through the programme of Mukhyamantri Ucch Siksha Rinn Byaj Anudan Yojna. After moratorium, the regular payment needs to be done with only a one percent interest rate by the beneficiary and the remaining interest amount will be paid by the state government directly to the concerned banks. The scheme further specified that the beneficiary students should be domiciled in Chhattisgarh and they are enrolled in courses that are established either by the state or recognised by statutory authorities like the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) or University Grants Commission. The students family income of not exceeding Rs 2 lakh per annum needed to be certified by a government official. The students who are drop-outs or rusticated from institutions will not be qualified as beneficiary on education loans except those who are constrained to take a break for a maximum of one-year duration on medical grounds.

Chhattisgarh Announces Interest-Free Loans for Students in LWE-Affected Areas

Raipur : Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Thursday unveiled a scheme envisaging interest free loan for the students in Leftwing extremism (LWE)-affected districts in the state to pursue technical and professional courses. The maximum loan amount to be given under the scheme has been fixed at Rs four lakh per student, deputy chief minister of Chhattisgarh government Vijay Sharma said. According to Mr Sharma, the state government has identified 35 technical and other professional courses for which the interest free education loan would be provided to the students. Sixteen of 33 districts in Chhattisgarh have been declared LWE-hit districts. They are Bastar, Bijapur, South Bastar Dantewada, Jashpur, North Bastar Kanker, Korea, Narayanpur, Rajnandgaon, Sarguja, Dhamtari, Mahasamund, Goriaband, Balod, Sukma, Kondagaon and Balrampur. Mr Sai also announced that loans at the rate of one percent interest would be provided to students hailing from economically weaker families in other districts to pursue technical and professional courses. In another development, Mr Sai declared to give financial rewards ranging from Rs one crore to Rs three crore to the Olympians from Chhattisgarh. The gold medal winner in the Olympics would be rewarded Rs three crore while the silver and bronze medallists would be rewarded Rs two crore and Rs one crore respectively.

Police jawan killed in accidental firing in Chhattisgarh

BIJAPUR: A police jawan was on Friday killed when his service weapon allegedly went off accidentally in Naxalite-hit Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, a police official said. The incident took place at around 9 am on the premises of Bhairamgarh police station, when Head Constable Sannu Hapka was apparently cleaning his service rifle, he said. On Thursday, Hapka returned from leave and reported to duty at the police station. This morning, he was issued his service weapon for Road Opening Party (ROP) duty, he said. He took his rifle and went to the mess behind the police station to clean it, he said. On hearing the gunshot, his colleagues rushed to the spot and shifted him to a local community health centre where doctors declared him dead. He suffered a bullet injury on his chest, the officer said. Prima facie, the incident seems to be a case of accidental firing. However, an investigation is underway, he added. This is the sixth case of accidental firing involving security personnel in the state in the last more than six months. On August 5, a jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was injured when his service rifle accidently went off at his unit's camp in Dhamtari district. On April 26, a policeman was killed and another injured allegedly due to an accidental discharge of a firearm in the bungalow of a former Congress MLA in state capital Raipur. On February 10 , a jawan of Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) was killed and a passenger injured in an accidental fire from the former's service weapon at Raipur railway station. Army jawan killed in accidental firing in J-K's Rajouri

Three of family among four killed by wild elephant in Chhattisgarh village

Jashpur: Four persons, including three members of a family, were killed in an attack by a wild elephant at a village in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district in the wee hours of Saturday, officials said. With this, so far nine persons have been killed in separate incidents of elephant attacks in the district in the last one month, they said. The latest incident took place around 1 am in Gamhriya area of Bagicha Nagar Panchayat when the victims were sleeping in their houses, a forest official here said. Those killed were identified as Ramkeshwar Soni (35), his daughter Ravita (9) and his brother Ajay (25) and their neighbour Ashwin Kujur (28), he said. As per the preliminary information, the tusker strayed into the village and damaged a wall of Soni's house and trampled the trio to death. On hearing their screams, Kujur reached the site, but he was also killed by the animal, he said. Soon after being alerted about the incident, forest and police personnel reached the spot and sent the victims' bodies for post-mortem, he said. The kin of each of the deceased were provided an instant relief amount of Rs 25,000, while the remaining compensation of Rs 5.75 lakh each will be given after completing necessary formalities, the official added. Teams of forest personnel have been keeping a tab on the movement of the tusker, said Divisional Forest Office Jashpur division Jitendra Upadhyay. The forest department has been planning to shift this tusker to another place as it has damaged several houses in the villages of the area in the last few days, he said. Human-elephant conflicts in the state particularly in the northern part had been a major cause of concern for the last one decade. Since the last few years, the menace has been spreading its footprint in some districts of the central region. The districts which have been facing the menace mainly are Surguja, Raigarh, Korba, Surajpur, Mahasamund, Dhamtari, Gariaband, Balod, Balrampur and Kanker. According to the forest department, around 310 people were killed in elephant attacks in the state in the last five years. On Thursday, three women were killed by an elephant at two places in Korba district of the state, he added.

Elephant kills woman, cattle in Chhattisgarh's Korba

Korba (Chhattisgarh): A wild elephant entered some villages in Chhattisgarh's Korba district on Thursday and trampled to death a 55-year-old woman and five cattle, officials said. The tusker was spotted roaming in the morning in Bhilaibazar, Ralia and Khodri villages located near Kusmunda coal mine of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a forest official said. The jumbo attacked Gayatri Rathore in Ralia as she stepped out of her home for a morning walk, leaving her seriously injured, he said. The woman's family members immediately shifted her to a hospital in Korba where she succumbed during treatment, the official said. Later, the elephant trampled five cows and calves to death in Khodri village, he said. After being alerted, a forest department team reached the spot and was keeping a tab on the movement of the tusker that has been separated from its herd, the official said. The kin of the deceased woman have been provided an instant relief amount of Rs 25,000 while the remaining compensation of Rs 5.75 lakh will be given after the completion of necessary formalities, the official added. Human-elephant conflicts in the state, particularly in the northern part, have been a major cause of concern for the last one decade. The menace has been gradually spreading its footprint in some districts of the central region in the last few years. The districts which have been facing the menace include Surguja, Raigarh, Korba, Surajpur, Mahasamund, Dhamtari, Gariaband, Balod, Balrampur and Kanker. According to the forest department, more than 300 persons have been killed in elephant attacks in the state in the last five years.