Man-Elephant conflict in Assam: 5 people killed in 3 days in Goalpara district

The man-elephant conflict has come to the fore again. Residents along the Assam-Meghalaya border and those near the International border with Bangladesh have been spending sleepless nights as herds of elephants have entered the human habitat in search of food.

During the dry season, elephants move through the famed elephant corridor of elephant that falls between India, Bhutan and Bangladesh in search of food.

As per the latest reports, a herd of about 8-10 elephants have been roaming around the border between Assam’s Goalpara district and parts of North and West Garo Hills in Meghalaya.

In the last 3 days, at least 5 persons have been killed in Assam’s Goalpara district, including one person who was trampled upon by the herd on December 20.

In view of the situation, the state forest department along with police personnel have been patrolling the areas between Agia in Goalpara and Tikrikilla in West Garo Hills in a bid to regulate traffic movement and ensure there are no more casualties. The pachyderms have been around the area for the past week apparently in search of food.

“We are monitoring the situation very closely and are working with the Meghalaya wildlife department as well. Currently, the elephants are on the Assam side of the border and we are advising travellers to use safer routes for travel till the elephants move away,” an Assam forest official informed.

Villages across both states have been asked to keep vigil to ensure the elephants don’t run riot.
Meanwhile, a huge herd of over 40 elephants have been seen at the India-Bangladesh border in Baghmara. As per locals, the herd has been around for the past 2 weeks and has been causing serious panic across both countries.

The elephants were seen between Sibbari and Baghmara in South Garo Hills and are believed to have come from near the Angratuli Reserve Forest area in India.

“They are roaming near the border road and their movement has caused us all to stay awake at night. Villagers in Sibbari, Domdoma, Nilwagre areas have not slept peacefully for the past 2 weeks as the elephants keep coming and going into the villages. The elephants are currently in Bangladesh,” informed a local resident of Baghmara, Taiwan M Sangma.

Meanwhile the District Forest Officer of Wildlife, West, South West and South Garo Hills, Rupankar Marak said that the situation is being closely monitored by his team. On a positive note, there have been no reported casualties in Garo Hills at the present.

“As long as we share the same space, such conflicts are inevitable. There has been habitat destruction of the elephants as well as fragmentation of the population. Further the expansion of agricultural space and the growth of the population of both humans as well as elephants. We continue to monitor the situation so that it does not go out of control,” said Rupankar when contacted on the reasons for such conflicts.

In recent years, the loss of forest cover as well as the lack of enough food and the reported increase in the elephant population has led to frequent encounters with humans resulting in casualties. Many elephants have died of electrocution and human atrocities.