Boko, May 11: Man-elephant conflicts are escalating in the Boko area of the Kamrup district in Assam. Wild Elephants are continuously causing havoc in Pakharapara, Dakuapara, Chandmari, Mouman, Tangabari, Sakhati, Jongakhuli and many other nearby villages under the Boko revenue circle. The affected area falls under the jurisdiction of the Singra (Boko) Forest Range of the West Kamrup Division.
According to the latest reports, a herd of wild jumbos, including elephants calves, is roaming in the said villages, destroying crops and houses. Locals are spending sleepless nights as the forest department has allegedly failed to chase away the herd.
According to the locals, the elephants usually graze in the nearby reserve forest area and enter the villages in search of food in the evening. This has led to the villagers being deprived of sleep as they spend the night chasing the elephants from one side to the other until the next morning. As a result, people in the area are unable to go to their paddy fields and carry out other work.
Every evening, the herd rushes into the villages from the Pakharapara reserve forest, forcing the closure of the Boko-Jongkhuli road for around one hour. Locals suspect the herd is stuck in the area due to the ongoing National Highway 17 expansion works in the Singra Reserve Forest area.
According to state forest officials, more than seven thousand Sal trees have been cut down in the Singra Reserve area for highway expansion. However, they also mentioned that they have identified elephant corridors in the area, and the highway authority would construct the expansion without destroying these corridors.
On the other hand, villagers have alleged that the state forest department has not taken any action to chase the herd back to the forest area.
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