Wild Elephants Cause Havoc in Tamulpur, Threatening Farmers' Livelihoods
Elephant Herd Creates Panic in Tamulpur
Wild elephants have reportedly destroyed ripe paddy crops belonging to numerous farmers.
Tamulpur, Oct 24: A group of over 100 wild elephants has instigated fear among residents in several villages of Tamulpur district, wreaking havoc on paddy fields and plantations, which has left farmers anxious about their livelihoods as the harvest season approaches.
This herd has been traversing the Pagladia river and taking refuge along the Kalandi and Daranga rivers for the last two weeks, before invading nearby villages and agricultural lands during the night.
Villagers from Darangapara, Sirichghutu Dowa, Angarkata, Sarubhera, and Borkajuli Shimliguri are among those impacted.
The elephants have reportedly trampled and consumed the ripe paddy crops of over 100 farmers, just as they were preparing for the harvest.
Additionally, damage has been reported in areca nut and coconut plantations.
“It’s truly disheartening. For the past fortnight, a herd of about 150 elephants has been causing chaos in our area. We hope the authorities will take action to resolve this issue,” expressed a local resident.
The presence of the herd, which includes young calves, has compelled villagers to stay awake at night to safeguard their crops.
Forest department officials, along with local volunteers, have succeeded in guiding the elephants back towards the Pagladia river, but fears of further incursions remain.
Residents have appealed to the government for immediate measures to avert additional crop damage and to provide assistance to the affected farmers.
Concerns have also been raised regarding compensation, especially for the losses incurred in areca nut and coconut plantations.
“From what we understand, individuals with areca nut and coconut plantations have not received any compensation. We’ve heard that Rs 8,000 is allocated for each bigha of paddy fields, but this is not comparable to the value of areca nut and coconut crops,” the resident added.
For many farmers, the destruction has obliterated their anticipated harvest for the season. One villager mentioned that elephants had devastated paddy crops across approximately five bighas of land, leaving their family with nothing to gather.
“The elephants consumed our paddy crops across about five bighas of land. Now, we have nothing left to harvest. Almost every family’s paddy crop has been devoured by the wild elephants. We have to remain vigilant at night,” the villager lamented.
Additionally, a local named Jagadish Rai was recently injured and taken to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).
As the harvest season is in full swing, residents are anxious that further elephant incursions could exacerbate their losses and are urgently calling for government intervention to safeguard their crops and address the escalating human-elephant conflict.