Herd of wild elephants creates mayhem in Rangapara area of Sonitpur district

Herd of wild elephants creates mayhem in Rangapara area of Sonitpur district

A Correspondent

Tezpur: Many families are spending sleepless nights in different belts of Sonitpur district since the past few months due to the chaos caused by wild elephant herds. On Tuesday night, wild elephants entered Dhendai TE area under Rangapara PS in Sonitpur district and created mayhem. The herd entered the Kadomtoli Primary School premises of 22 Labour line in Dhendai TE and damaged the office, kitchen and other goods of the school. Forest personnel were camping in the area and efforts were being made to push back the herd of elephants to the forest but the mission failed.

Over the last many years, wild elephants have been wreaking havoc due to shortage of food, habitat shortage, flood and some other man-made problems. People living in the vicinity of Sonai-Rupai Sanctuary, Nameri National Park, sixth addition of Kaziranga National Park and many villages and tea gardens in the northern part of Sonitpur district have been worst affected by the man-elephant conflict.

Following acute shortage of food and habitat problem, the wild herd of tuskers wreaked havoc in Sonitpur district. The herd of rampaging elephants from the forest reserve has caused extensive damage to residential houses. The herd of wild jumbos has intruded and been on the rampage in that area for the last few days. The wild tuskers are apparently facing a major food and habitat crisis due to shrinking forest land and have entered human habitat in search of food.

On the other hand, official records suggest that some of the wild elephants have died due to fights common among wild tuskers, some others by falling into man-made deep holes and electrocution on fencings raised to protect inhabited areas. However, compounding the growing man-elephant problem, the elephant herds have damaged many dwellings, properties and croplands in Balipara, Rangapara and Chariduar areas, besides claiming human life and cattle in the last couple of weeks.

A socially aware and noted person of the Rangapara greater area said the primary reason for the rise in incidence of man-elephant conflict was the destruction of the animal's habitat due to large-scale encroachment of reserve forestland in Chariduar, Balipara, Gamini, Nameri, Bhalokpong and Sonai-Rupai in Sonitpur district. Adding further, he said that as the forest areas in the northern areas had become a hub for timber smugglers and poachers resulting in large-scale deforestation, herds of wild elephants come down to the rural and tea garden areas in search of food and shelter. As a result, the man-elephant conflict has taken a serious turn in the last few years with a number of elephants being poisoned.

He added that it was a matter of great concern that despite being aware about the gravity of the situation, the Forest Department has taken to measures for resolving the issue. He demanded the forest officials to take adequate measures to tackle the jumbo menace.

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