Assam: Wild elephants destroy homes in Rani

A CORRESPONDENT

PALASBARI: In yet another alarming case of human-wildlife conflict in Assam, three wild elephants wreaked havoc at Belguri village under the Rani forest office of the East Kamrup forest division near the Assam-Meghalaya border early on Thursday morning, leaving families shaken and homes in ruins.

The incident took place at around 4 am when most of the villagers was still asleep and heavy rain was pouring down. “It was raining, and we were all inside. Suddenly, we heard loud crashing sounds. Before we could react, the elephants had reached my house and destroyed everything,” said 70-year-old Lowen Rabha, a farmer from Belguri village who lost his home in the attack.

Just a few meters away, his son Mintu Rabha (30) and his family were also caught in the chaos. Mintu, his wife Rita (25), and their two young sons Sanju (7) and Rohan (1) were inside their house when the elephants barged in.

“We were sleeping. The noise woke us up, and suddenly the walls were shaking. My wife grabbed the kids, and we tried to hide. It was terrifying,” Mintu shared. Thankfully, they all managed to escape unharmed. Though no injuries were reported, the damage to property was severe. The affected families are now left without shelter and are seeking help from local authorities. Forest officials have been informed. Incidents like this are becoming increasingly common in border areas, where shrinking forest cover is forcing elephants to wander into human settlements in search of food and space.

“We’re scared. This isn’t the first time. Something needs to be done,” one villager said, echoing the concerns of many in the area.

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