Jumbos wreak havoc in Majuli, villagers pass sleepless nights

FROM a CORRESPONDENT
Jorhat, May 7: Hundreds of villagers in more than 10 villages in Majuli river island in Jorhat district have been passing sleepless nights in the past few days due to elephants depredation in the sand island.
Forest staffs said over 120 wild elephants comprising about 30 calves have been taking shelter in Majuli island in the past one week and creating mece among the villagers. The jumbos also damaged some houses in a sand bar in the island in search of food.
Divisiol forest officer (Jorhat) Sapon Saikia on Saturday said, “A strong herd of wild elephants comprising 120 jumbos, including 30 calves, have been creating mece in Majuli and its adjoining
sandbars in the district in the past few days. The herd of the jumbos is taking shelter in some sandbars in the island in the past four days. We have deployed forest staffs to control the situation there.”
Talking to The Sentinel, Atul Das, Majuli forest beat officer said, “The jumbos take shelter in the sand bars on the bank of the river Brahmaputra during the day hours. They launch operation in search of
food during the night hours and visit human habitations. They have damaged some houses at Dhoi Lasom Chapori in search of food but no one injured in the attack.”
The jumbos are taking shelter at villages like Baghor Gaon, Kothalpora, Pothomia, Dhoi Lasom Chapori and Muamari in the sand island wreaking havoc to the villagers living there.
A villager in the river island said, “The jumbos generally take shelter at the nearby areas of Brahmaputra embankment and eat bamboos and ba trees growing up besides the embankment. We have been passing sleepless nights for these wild elephants. They have been visiting our villages during the night hours for which we have no altertive but to remain awake in the nights.”