Wild tusker creates havoc in Kaliabor (India)

Author(s)

The Sentinel

Date Published

A wild elephant on Monday morning destroyed the houses of Dombarudhar Hazarika and Hem Ch. Hazarika of Maujarichuk of Sonarigaon near Silghat.

Man-elephant conflict in Kaliabor has been going on for a long time in Kaliabor subdivision of Nagaon district. Unfortunately, Sonari-Kamakhyagaon near Silghat has been bearing the brunt of the problem. Wild tuskers have been causing loss to human life and property of the village year after year. Wild elephants frequently come to the village in search of food when there is scarcity of food in the forest of Kaziranga, particularly in this season. At the time of harvest these animals frequently damage paddy in the cultivation field.

The elephant which entered the village yesterday damaged the granaries of Dombarudhar Hazarika and Hem Ch. Hazarika. The animal even gulped about five mound of rice from the granary of Hem Ch. Hazarika. When the animal did not find any rice in the granary of Dombarudhar Hazarika, it created havoc and broke the iron grill of the veranda of his house.  In front of the animal, people cannot do nothing but remain mure spectators.

Just a few months ago the granary of Dombarudhar Hazarika and Hem Ch. Hazarika were damaged by wild elephants.  Dombarudhar Hazarika even wrote to the authority concerned for compensation of his loss. But so far he received nothing from the authority in the name of compensation. He is now hard-pressed by the cost to be involved in the reconstruction of the granary and the part of the house broken by the elephant. The residents of Sonari-Kamakhyagaon pass most of the nights round the year in constant terror of the wild tuskers.