Correspondent
WOKHA, SEP 13 (NPN): Recurring wild elephant incursions have raised concern in Chanka village under the 40 Bhandari Assembly Constituency, with farmers reporting crop losses and growing safety concerns as the harvesting season approaches.
The latest incident occurred around 2 a.m. on September 12, when a herd of about 12-13 elephants, including young ones, entered a paddy field and severely damaged ripening crops. The herd was reportedly still in the area, creating fear among villagers.
President of the VDB Secretaries’ Association and ADS Changpang Block, Sentsüdy P.B. Sen Yanthan, said farmers staying in farm huts for night patrol attempted to drive the elephants away. He said elephants had also entered cultivated areas on September 3 and 5, damaging paddy fields, rubber plantations and areca nut groves. Such incidents had become frequent, occurring almost every week, he said.
With farmers entering the harvesting period, Sen Yanthan said repeated crop destruction could seriously affect those who had already invested labour and resources. He said some affected farmers had received relief of around Rs. 9,000-10,000 in previous instances, but maintained that the assistance was inadequate compared to the actual losses.
Expressing concern over the safety of villagers, he said elephants were increasingly entering areas closer to human habitation, making villagers hesitant to travel to their fields at night. He warned that the situation could lead to a serious incident if preventive measures were not taken in time.
Sen Yanthan said the matter had been taken up with concerned authorities and the Forest Department. Following the latest incident, it was reported to the Assistant Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Warden and Forest Department control room.
He said he had requested solar lights for the village to improve visibility and discourage elephants from approaching inhabited areas. He had also applied for a watchtower to monitor elephant movements, but assistance had not yet been received.
While acknowledging awareness and prevention programmes by authorities, he said affected villages needed practical, site-specific measures and timely intervention rather than support only after major incidents.
Sen Yanthan said he had also submitted an open letter to the MLA and the minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change seeking intervention.
Meanwhile, a wildlife toll-free helpline has been launched for reporting wildlife-related incidents and seeking assistance.
With the herd reportedly still around Chanka, villagers have sought immediate preventive measures, improved support and adequate compensation for recurring crop losses, while stressing the need to prevent any loss of human life.