Udalguri: A tea garden worker was killed in a human–elephant conflict along the Indo–Bhutan border under the Dhansiri Forest Division of Assam’s Udalguri, exposing ongoing challenges in managing such incidents in the region.
The deceased has been identified as Jena Barla (50), who was trampled by a wild elephant at Dimakuchi in the Bhergaon area on Friday night.
The victim was a resident of Budlapara Tea Estate. Another person accompanying him narrowly escaped the attack.
According to sources, Barla was crushed by the elephant inside the tea garden while attempting to bring back cattle. The survivor, after witnessing the incident, immediately informed the forest department and the Dimakuchi police.
Forest personnel from Barnadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Ranger Pranjal Talukdar of Khalingduar Forest Range, and Officer-in-Charge Suman Saha of Dimakuchi Police Station, along with other police and forest officials, rushed to the scene.
Large herds of wild elephants have been causing damage for years in the Bhutan border areas, leading to widespread panic among residents.
Several families have already been rendered homeless due to elephant incursions. Official records indicate that more than 15 people lost their lives to elephant attacks in the district last year alone, while this incident marks the first fatality of the current year.
The number of casualties has risen, but effective steps are yet to be taken.
Citizens have urged Assam Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary to intervene urgently to prevent further man–elephant conflicts and have demanded the immediate transfer of Udalguri DFO Mustafa Ali Ahmed, citing his failure to control the recurring menace.