Fear & destruction grip West Karbi Anglong as wild elephants ravage villages
Villages under Kherani Police Station face daily elephant incursions that destroy crops and livelihoods, farmers plead for government intervention
File Image
Diphu, Nov 12: What was once an occasional sighting of wild elephants has escalated into a terrifying daily reality for the farmers residing in the Southern Forest Range of West Karbi Anglong district.
Herds of these magnificent but destructive animals now traverse with alarming regularity through the villages under the jurisdiction of the Kherani Police Station, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake across Jiribasa, Hawaipur, Belbari, Mailoo, Dhikreng. Kheroni Nepali Basti, Guhagaon, Ma-jbasti, Lambapathar, and the neighboring areas bordering Hojai district.
As twilight descends and shadows lengthen, families are gripped by an over-whelming sense of dread.
"We can never anticipate where the herd may strike next," said a distraught farmer from Hawaipur, whose once-thriving field of ripe paddy now lies flattened under the massive weight of the elephants.
"One night, their rampage destroys our village, the next, it could be Bellsari or Mailoo. We light fires and bang drums in a desperate attempt to scare them away, but our efforts feel futile against these colossal beasts."
The impact of the elephants' destruction is dire, obliterating the primary source of livelihood for an entire community of small and marginal farmers.
Fields that should be over flowing with golden paddy ready for harvest, vibrant vegetable plots, and robust sugarcane are now reduced to mere memories, trampled and consumed, pushing many families perilously close to starvation just as the harvest season approaches.
Despite countless appeals to the forest department and the district administration, the affected villagers are left deeply frustrated at the perceived inaction of the authorities concerned. They feel abandoned in their time of need.
In a unified, desperate plea for assistance, the farmers are demanding immediate government intervention. They are calling for the establishment of permanent anti-poaching teams that could help mitigate the conflict.
These include enhanced management of elephant corridors to prevent further incursions into human settlements and a significant revision of the current compensation rates, which the villagers assert are pitifully inadequate.
Many farmers contend that the monetary compensation provided to them does not reflect the actual market value of the crops lost, leaving them grappling with financial instability.
Furthermore, the disbursement process is riddled with bureaucratic obstacles that can unnecessarily prolong payments, sometimes stretching out for years when families can least afford delays.
As another night shrouds the Kherani area in darkness, the unsettling sounds of beating drums, an occasional firecracker, and frantic shouts echo through the villages, a haunting reminder that for these farmers, the true 'man-animal conflict is not just a phrase emblazoned across headlines, but a cruel reality manifested in their empty granaries and sleepless night fraught with anxiety and uncertainty.