Elephants threatening voters in Meghalaya

April 6, 2009

*These elephants are smart, ay? They understand corruption better than we

do!*

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*Elephants a big problem for Meghalaya poll officials*

*6 Apr 2009, 1145 hrs IST, PTI*

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** *SHILLONG: Over 200 polling booths, mostly in the Garo hills region in

Meghalaya, have been marked 'sensitive' not because they face any law and *

***order problem but for fear of attacks by wild elephants.

Apart from Garo hills, which is along the Indo-Bangla border, the booths are

located in the districts of West Khasi hills and Ri Bhoi which are close to

forests in neighbouring Assam from where the pachyderms often travel.

Chief Electoral Officer, P Naik, said that after elephant attacks disrupted

polling during the '90s, the election authorities were not taking any chance

this time. Like the previous time, forest guards have been assigned to keep

a watch during the April 16 polling.

Naik said the returning officers have been asked to work out their strategy

to deal with the problem. Crackers and self-defence weapons are also likely

to be provided to the polling officials.

A forest official said forest guards along with trained elephants of the

forest and wildlife department and their trainers will be at hand to drive

away wild elephants and they will be assisted by local tribesmen with drums

and cymbals.

In the Garo hills district, wild elephants in herds often come down to the

plains from the hills in search of food and local brew and if this takes

place during polling, it is definitely a problem, the official said.

A marauding elephant killed four persons last month in the Selsella area.*

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