A CORRESPONDENT
KHERONI: For the last several days, two herds of wild elephants have taken shelter in sugarcane fields, ripe paddy crops, and vegetable farms in Belbari and Mailoo Raisen areas under the Southern Forest Range of West Karbi Anglong district. The continuous presence of the elephants has completely disrupted normal life and created an atmosphere of fear among villagers and farmers.
The herds are raiding crops day and night, causing extensive damage to standing paddy, sugarcane and vegetable crops that farmers were preparing to harvest. Many farmers have lost their entire season’s produce in a single night. “We are guarding our fields the whole night with torches, firecrackers and drums, but the elephants still come. We are helpless,” said a farmer from Belbari No. 2 village.
The situation has become particularly alarming for school-going children. Students of several local schools are refusing to attend classes out of fear of sudden elephant attacks on the roads. “Children are terrified. No one knows when and from which direction the elephants will appear,” a Belbari villager told our reporter.
Residents have expressed strong anger over the inaction by the Southern Range Forest Office. Despite repeated complaints, no serious effort has been made to drive the herds back towards Lumding reserve forest of Hojai district. Locals allege that forest personnel only visit briefly and leave without taking concrete steps. The affected villagers and farmers have demanded immediate deployment of trained elephant driving teams (hulla parties, kunki elephants or firecrackers with proper monitoring) to safely push the herds back into Lumding reserve forest, prompt assessment of crop and property damage and immediate compensation to affected farmers as per government norms and installation of solar fencing or other permanent mitigation measures in chronic conflict zones of Southern Range of Divisional Forest Office, Hamren Division.
The people of the area have urged the authority of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Govt of Assam, to intervene urgently and resolve the crisis before it turns into a larger tragedy.