Karbi Anglong: The human-elephant conflict in the Kheroni area under the Southern Forest Range, Kheroni of West Karbi Anglong district has taken a severe and alarming turn, with a herd of approximately 150 wild elephants creating widespread panic day and night.
What were once peaceful paddy fields have now become roaming grounds for the massive herd. Instead of narrow pathways between ripening paddy crops, residents now witness long lines of wild elephants moving through the sugarcane fields. For more than a month, local farmers and villagers have been forced to stay awake all night to guard their homes and crops from the marauding elephants.
The herd has caused extensive damage: devastating mature paddy crops, destroying vegetable fields, sugarcane, valuable trees & plants, demolishing homes, and flattening stored grain. Several families have lost their houses completely. Tragically, a young woman named Khusbu Rajbhar lost her life in a recent elephant attack.
Also Read: CM lays foundation stone for RCC bridge over Barak River
The presence of the elephants has also severely disrupted normal life. Movement of vehicles, including ambulances carrying patients at night, has become extremely risky. The herd has split into several smaller groups and is now scattered across villages and roads in the Kheroni and its adjacent areas, creating an atmosphere of constant fear.
Despite repeated efforts, the Southern Forest Range, Kheroni has so far failed to drive the herd back into the forest or implement effective containment measures. Amid the crisis, former Member of Parliament Horen Sing Bey recently visited the affected areas and interacted with distressed residents to assess the gravity of the situation.
