A CORRESPONDENT
KHERONI: Chaos has gripped West Karbi Anglong district as a herd of wild elephants continues to roam day and night, devastating paddy and sugarcane fields across multiple villages. The crisis escalated after two elephants were electrocuted on October 22 near Kharikhana Bill Gaon on the Hojai-West Karbi Anglong border, prompting the surviving herd to venture deeper into human settlements.
Villages including Majgaon, Kheroni Nepali Basti, Bagisadubi, Dhikreng (Nawgharwa), Lambapathar, Ranaima, Purana Basti, Watizor, and other bordering areas have borne the brunt of the destruction. Farmers report widespread trampling of ripe paddy crops and sugarcane plantations, leaving fields in ruins just ahead of the harvest season.
"We've lost everything, our paddy is flattened, and sugarcane uprooted. How will we feed our families?" said a distressed farmer.
Despite repeated appeals, the Forest Department has failed to contain the herd or drive them back into the wilderness. Local residents accuse authorities of inadequate measures, such as ineffective solar fencing or patrolling, exacerbating the man-animal conflict.
Aggrieved cultivators have demanded immediate and appropriate compensation from the concerned departments, including Forest and Agriculture.
Officials from the Forest Department were unavailable for comment, but sources indicated that efforts were underway to monitor the herd.
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