Tinsukia, June 14: A troubling incident of human-elephant conflict has emerged in the Sadiya area of Tinsukia district, Assam. A herd of wild elephants wreaked havoc in the Bhabla Balijan village, damaging several homes, destroying farmers’ crops, and uprooting a significant number of valuable Sal trees.
Regional Forest Officer Lucky Dutta reported that five houses were damaged in the recent human-elephant conflict in the Sadiya area. Additionally, numerous crops standing in the fields were also affected. There has been a noticeable increase in such incidents in recent days.
According to Dutta, a field study by the forest department identified three major elephant corridors around the Gurumura and Lohit rivers. These corridors have already been proposed for government notification; however, local residents have begun cultivating maize, potatoes, and other seasonal crops in these areas, disrupting the elephants’ movement.
He emphasized the need to remove encroachments on government land and sapori areas to allow elephants to pass freely along their natural routes.
The forest department is conducting regular patrols and distributing torches and crackers to villagers to deter elephants from populated areas. The department is also planning to run awareness and capacity-building programs in collaboration with the administration to educate people on what to do and what not to do in such situations.
Dutta urged the residents of the Sadiya area to avoid cultivating maize and other attractive crops in the elephant corridors and sapori areas, as this could reduce conflict incidents.
He also mentioned that initiatives are underway, in collaboration with local NGOs, to install solar fencing around villages near the reserve forest. Additionally, promoting the planting of lemon plants as a biological barrier is being encouraged.
Deependra Singh Chundawat is a Senior Sub-Editor at Udaipur Kiran, specializing in a wide range of technology topics including mobile phones, applications, gaming, PCs, and wearables. Along with covering the latest tech news, he also creates engaging web stories. Passionate about emerging technologies, he stays up to date with the newest trends and enjoys reading and writing about the latest mobile launches and digital innovations.