Nagaon: In a rare gesture of hands-on leadership, Nagaon District Commissioner Debashish Sharma (IAS) walked through the paddy fields of Samaguri and Bamuni in the dead of night, joining villagers in their struggle against rampaging herds of wild elephants.
For weeks, the elephants have been destroying crops, flattening granaries, and pushing local farmers to the brink of despair. Accompanied by Assistant Commissioner Tejash Agnihotri (IAS), Sharma moved from village to village with torchlights and patrol teams, personally inspecting the damaged fields.
The visit was not just a routine inspection; it was an attempt to understand what the villagers live through every night, and to find real solutions together. During his interaction with residents, the DC introduced a simple but effective idea to keep the elephants away. Borrowing from methods used in Indonesia, he suggested stretching ropes soaked in a mixture of cow dung and dried chilli powder along the village boundary, a smell elephants naturally dislike. The eco-friendly idea, which costs next to nothing, was quickly taken up by several villagers.
Sharma spent hours listening to farmers’ concerns, reassuring them that the administration would stay closely involved in tackling the crisis. The villagers, in turn, expressed relief and gratitude at seeing top officials stand by them during such a difficult time.
While the visit offered hope, locals also appealed for stronger, long-term measures such as solar fencing, increased compensation, and regular patrols to protect their crops and lives from future attacks.
The midnight walk by the Nagaon DC has drawn widespread appreciation, seen as a rare example of empathy and proactive governance. In Assam’s long battle with human-elephant conflict, it was a night that truly bridged the gap between the administration and the people it serves.