HT Correspondent
KHERONI, Nov 20: Two herds of wild elephants have been sheltering for several days in sugarcane fields, ripe paddy plots and vegetable farms in Belbari and Mailoo Raisen under the Southern Forest Range of West Karbi Anglong, creating widespread fear and disrupting daily life. Farmers and villagers say the continuous presence of the herds has turned the area unsafe, especially during early morning and night hours.
The elephants have been raiding crops both day and night, causing extensive destruction to standing paddy, sugarcane and vegetables just as farmers were preparing for harvest. Several farmers have reportedly lost their entire season’s produce overnight. “We are guarding our fields the whole night with torches, firecrackers and drums, but the elephants still come. We are helpless,” said a farmer from Belbari No 02 village.
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The situation has become particularly distressing for schoolchildren, with many refusing to attend classes due to fear of sudden elephant encounters on village roads. “Children are terrified. No one knows when and from which direction the elephants will appear,” a resident said. Villagers have expressed strong resentment over what they allege is inaction by the Southern Range Forest Office. Despite repeated complaints, locals say no substantial effort has been made to drive the herds back towards the Lumding Reserve Forest in neighbouring Hojai district. According to residents, forest personnel visit briefly but leave without initiating effective measures.
It has also emerged that the same elephant groups had caused similar problems in the Kheroni area for nearly one and a half months before moving to the present location, raising concerns over the forest department’s long-term strategy to address recurring human–elephant conflict in the region.
The affected farmers have demanded immediate deployment of trained elephant-driving teams—such as hulla parties, kunki elephants or monitored firecracker units—to safely push the herds back into the Lumding Reserve Forest. They also sought prompt assessment of crop and property damage, speedy compensation as per government norms and installation of solar fencing or other permanent mitigation measures in chronic conflict zones of the Southern Range under the Hamren Forest Division.
Until concrete action is taken, hundreds of families in Belbari and Mailoo Raisen continue to spend sleepless nights guarding their fields and homes. Residents have urged the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Assam to intervene urgently before the situation escalates into a major tragedy.
