Locals Decry Forest Department’s Negligence as Elephants Wreak Havoc in Kaziranga

Kaziranga: The situation turned volatile at Borbil village under No. 2 Sildubi in Kaziranga on Monday after angry villagers surrounded a team of forest personnel, as a mark of protest against the rampant destruction of their paddy fields and property by wild elephants.

According to allegations leveled by the residents, wild elephants straying out of Kaziranga National Park have been creating havoc for a long time in Borbil village, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Kohora forest range’s Solmora forest camp.

Herds of wild jumbos entering the village from the Kaziranga National Park have been damaging agricultural fields and destroying paddy stored in sacks.

A similar scene was witnessed on Sunday night, when elephants entered the village again, destroying paddy fields and damaging several houses. In one instance, elephants reportedly consumed and destroyed around 40 sacks of paddy belonging to a household.

Residents of the village have alleged that though the forest department was informed, no officials turned up. They further accused forest officials of switching off their mobile phones and failing to respond to the emergency.

When a forest department team arrived at the village on Monday, enraged villagers surrounded them and attempted to assault the personnel. The villagers warned that the situation could turn more dangerous if compensation for the losses is not provided immediately.

Also Read: Baijayant Panda to Steer BJP's Strategy in Upcoming Assam Polls