HT Correspondent
TEZPUR, Nov 4: A wild elephant created havoc in Rangapara College on Wednesday.
Dr Ranjan Kalita, principal of Rangapara College said to this correspondent that the wild elephant entered the college through the college gate and went out of the college by fully destroying a large concrete wall of the college.
People of the northern belt, particularly in the Rangapara area have been rendered to pass a miserable time during the last couple of weeks. It has become a regular affair for the people of the belt to fight against the wild elephants. Following alleged denudation of the forest areas wildlife, particularly the herd of the pachyderm has become miserably shelter-less since the last many years. This year also there is no exception to it, wild elephant herds were seen roaming freely in different parts of Rangapara belt while causing extensive damage to houses, standing crops, orchards etc.
As there is no sufficient forest for taking shelter and finding fodder, the wild elephant herd has no other option but to go to tea garden or human areas particularly crop lands either as their safe passage or site for fodder resulting in an unwanted conflict between human and wild elephant.
As an outcome of the continuous menace during the last few days several dwellings and school buildings were destroyed.
During the last few days, along with other incidents, bed rooms, kitchen and walls of the quarter of Siphol Gowala, an employee of Kathalguri division of Rupajuli T.E. and school building of the Rupajuli T.E. were destroyed vehemently by wild elephants.
