Farmers in West Karbi Anglong Face Daily Threat from Wild Elephants

Wild Elephants Create Havoc in West Karbi Anglong

Diphu, Nov 12: What was once a rare occurrence has now turned into a frightening daily challenge for farmers in the Southern Forest Range of West Karbi Anglong district.

Herds of these majestic yet destructive elephants are now frequently invading villages under the Kherani Police Station, wreaking havoc in areas such as Jiribasa, Hawaipur, Belbari, Mailoo, Dhikreng, Kheroni Nepali Basti, Guhagaon, Ma-jbasti, Lambapathar, and nearby regions bordering Hojai district.

As night falls, families are engulfed by an overwhelming sense of fear.

"We can never predict where the herd will strike next," lamented a distressed farmer from Hawaipur, whose once-thriving paddy field now lies crushed beneath the elephants' weight.

"One night, they devastate our village; the next, it could be Bellsari or Mailoo. We light fires and bang drums in a desperate attempt to scare them off, but our efforts seem futile against these enormous creatures."

The destruction caused by the elephants is severe, obliterating the main source of income for many small and marginal farmers.

Fields that should be filled with golden paddy ready for harvest, colorful vegetable gardens, and healthy sugarcane have been reduced to mere remnants, pushing numerous families dangerously close to starvation as the harvest season approaches.

Despite numerous appeals to the forest department and local authorities, the villagers are left feeling frustrated by what they perceive as a lack of action from those in charge. They feel abandoned during this critical time.

In a collective and urgent call for help, the farmers are demanding immediate government action. They are advocating for the formation of permanent anti-poaching teams to help alleviate the conflict.

This includes better management of elephant corridors to prevent further encroachments into human habitats and a significant overhaul of the current compensation rates, which the villagers believe are grossly inadequate.

Many farmers argue that the financial compensation they receive does not accurately reflect the market value of their lost crops, leaving them in a precarious financial situation.

Moreover, the process of receiving compensation is fraught with bureaucratic hurdles that can unnecessarily delay payments, sometimes extending for years when families can least afford such delays.

As another night envelops the Kherani area in darkness, the unsettling sounds of drums, the occasional firecracker, and frantic shouts resonate through the villages, serving as a haunting reminder that for these farmers, the term 'man-animal conflict' is not just a headline but a harsh reality reflected in their empty granaries and sleepless nights filled with anxiety and uncertainty.