Two houses damaged by wild elephant in Digboi

From our Correspondent

DIGBOI, April 23: Two houses were damaged by a male wild elephant at Barophutia, Golai No. 01, under Digboi Range Office on Wednesday night.

The two damaged houses belonged to Mohan Kishore and Madan Kishore. Meanwhile, based on information, staff of the forest department as well as members of Aaranyak, Digboi unit, rushed to the spot.  Later, Rajib Rudra Tariang, a wildlife biologist and Assistant Professor of Digboi College, along with Subhasish Arandhara and Rubul Tanti, members of Aaranyak, made a persol visit to the area and discussed with the local people some permanent mitigation measures to minimize such depredation by wild elephants in the area in future.

This area is on the edge of the Upper Dehing West Block and near the Golai Elephant Corridor. Since the Golai Corridor is blocked by construction of several new houses near the junction of the Golai Elephant Corridor and tiol Highway 38, adjacent to the newly-constructed IOCL (AOD) Oil Terminus, the elephant depredation had increased manifold.

According to turalists, some scientific mitigation measures are required to be adopted before the damage turn into violent man- elephant conflict, thus paving way for large-scale and disastrous consequences.  Early this year about 80-100 wild elephants had crossed this significant but much disturbed Golai Elephant Corridor.