Divisional Forest Officer of West Midnapore forest division A P Singh today said the herd had arrived on Saturday and damaged paddy plants at Koima, Piyalgeria and Tiakati villages.
With the villagers demanding that the herd be driven away, a team of forest department employees headed by Assistant Chief Conservator of Forest S N Ram began the operations this evening amidst bursting to crackers, beating of tin drums and lighting of torches called 'hula' to scare them away.
The presence of the calf was delaying the movement of the herd.