A 30-year old man was crushed to death by wild elephant in Udalguri district of Assam on Wednesday. The incident took place at No 13 line area of Bhutiachang Tea Estate under Paneri police station. One Alfash Orang (30) was trampled to death by wild jumbo while he was on his way to his workplace at Bhutiachang Tea Estate along Indo-Bhutan border.
A critically injured Orang was rushed to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital but breathed his last midway.
The continuing man-elephant conflict has taken a serious turn in Udalguri district. Four human beings and a wild elephant lost their lives in the district in the month of October.
The rising graph of deaths in the district has triggered panic among the people living in this area bordering Bhutan. They have accused the forest department of being inactive in tackling the menace.
Talking to Northeast Now, Divisional Forest Officer, Dhansiri Forest Division, Madhurjya Sarma said the forest department has adopted every possible measures to tackle the issue. Sarma said many of the casualties took place when a lone jumbo strayed out of the herd. He said it is difficult to monitor the movement a lone jumbo that strays out of the herd. He also blamed the tea garden authorities for sending labourers early morning to work risking their lives.
On being asked about roping in Kunki or the trained captive elephants used in operations to chase wild elephants in the region, Sarma said that they had last year used Kunki in Kundarbil area of Udalguri but the Badlapara tea estate and Nonai forest range areas are usually monitored by forest personnel with the help of vehicles.
He further stated that a herd of nearly 15 wild elephants is reportedly taking shelter in Bhutiachang Tea Estate area and a team of forest guards have been directed to monitor their movement. Sarma also stated that he will apprise the matter to the higher authorities for chalking out mitigating measures. He also said forest department lacks necessary manpower and he will seek the help of the villagers and nature loving youths by distributing flashlights and necessary gears to monitor the movement of herds specifically in the post-harvesting season which witnesses rising cases of human casualties.