Rising Human-Elephant Conflicts in Hojai: Three Fatalities in Just Days

Escalating Human-Elephant Conflicts in Hojai District

Hojai district is currently facing a distressing increase in human-elephant conflicts, with the New Year marking the third tragic death. Within a mere four days, three individuals have lost their lives in separate encounters with wild elephants, instilling fear and anxiety among the local communities living near forested areas.

The most recent incident took place on the night of January 4 in the Radhanagar region, where a middle-aged man named Prakash Biswas was tragically trampled by a herd of elephants that wandered into the area in search of food. Reports indicate that the elephants invaded Biswas's home, causing extensive damage and attacking those inside. In the ensuing chaos, Prakash Biswas was killed instantly.

Residents are now enduring sleepless nights, plagued by the fear of wild elephants frequently encroaching upon their settlements. Locals claim that the Forest Department has not implemented effective measures to prevent the elephants from moving from forested regions into populated areas. Consequently, a sense of panic has enveloped the community, particularly after dark.

Following the incident, officials from the Forest Department and Hojai Police arrived at the scene to carry out necessary procedures. However, this tragedy has once again highlighted significant concerns regarding preparedness, early-warning systems, and long-term strategies to mitigate the escalating conflict.

Prakash Biswas's death is the third fatality due to elephant attacks in the district since the beginning of the New Year. On January 1, a 55-year-old man named Basudev Chouhan was killed by a wild elephant while tending to his cow near the forest in the Milik Basti area.

The following day, on January 2, another unfortunate event occurred near the Theplaguri forest area adjacent to Komorakata. A group of eight individuals returning from a picnic after sunset found themselves surrounded by a herd of wild elephants. In this incident, Anil Kumar Singh, a resident of Moina Pur in Hojai, was also trampled to death.