Human elephant conflict in World`s largest river island: Majuli

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Panic-stricken villagers surround elephant herd in Majuli

Jumbos keep villagers on tenterhooks

 

From a Correspondent

JORHAT, Dec 23: As feared by the forest department, the herd of more

than 100 elephants which was sighted 2.5 kms away from Garmur,

Majuli's headquarters, trampled through the Bongaon in Garmur to

crossover to Mudoisukh at around midnight yesterday.

Since the crossover had taken place late at night, no panic was

reported, but today the villagers on four sides surrounded the herd,

not allowing it to move in any direction, making it difficult for the

task force formed by the Forest Department to initiate any action.

The Assistant Conservator of Forests and the nodal officer in-charge

of the task force, Gunin Saikia told The Sentinel over telephone that

the task force was close on the trail of the herd.

" It is very difficult in moving the herd along a route to an

unpopulated sapori beyond the embankment due to panic-stricken

villages on all sides creating a ruckus so that elephants do not

enter their villages, " Saikia.

" We hope to make some headway after night falls and the villagers go

home, " he further said.

Meanwhile, the jumbos destroyed nine huts at Juwainsukh. The people

of the village have taken shelter at the Garmur Xatra.

" It is most likely that the elephants, after foraying for food for

the last 15 days, are returning to the place from where they

originally came from the Dibrugarh-Saikhowa range, " Saikia said.

The Forest Department had made an abortive attempt to drive the

rampaging elephants to Kaziranga and the Karbi Hills but the herd

moved towards Gohpur in Sonitpur district and then on to Lakhimpur

district before returning to Majuli from the other side.