Karbi Anglong: What was once an occasional encounter has now turned into a terrifying daily ordeal for residents of the Southern Forest Range in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district. Herds of wild elephants are wreaking havoc across several villages under Kheroni Police Station, including Jiribasa, Hawaipur, Belbari, Mailoo, Dhikreng, Kheroni Nepali Basti, Guhagaon, Majbasti, and Lambapathar, along the border with Hojai district.
Every evening after dusk and in the early hours before dawn, villagers brace themselves for yet another night of fear and uncertainty. “We can’t predict where the herd will appear next,” said a farmer from Hawaipur, whose entire paddy field was destroyed overnight. “One night it’s our village, the next it’s Belbari or Mailoo. We light fires and beat drums, but nothing works.”
The rampaging elephants have devastated the livelihoods of hundreds of small and marginal farmers. Ready-to-harvest paddy, sugarcane, and vegetable fields have been trampled and consumed, leaving families staring at starvation just weeks before harvest.
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Despite repeated pleas to the Forest Department and local administration, villagers allege that no concrete measures have been taken to contain the menace. The affected farmers have demanded permanent anti-depredation teams, better management of elephant corridors, revision of inadequate compensation rates, and timely disbursement of relief without prolonged bureaucratic delays.
As another night descends upon the Kheroni region, the sounds of beating drums, firecrackers, and desperate shouts fill the air — a haunting reminder that for these farmers, the ongoing man-elephant conflict is not a distant issue, but a relentless struggle for survival.
