Human-elephant conflict has resurfaced in Assam with the onset of rain and fresh vegetation, leaving three people dead, including a 3-year-old child, in the past 24 hours.
Incidents Across Three Districts
An Adivasi man was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Misamari in Sonitpur district on Wednesday night. In separate attacks, a 3-year-old child was killed in Bokajan in Karbi Anglong district and a woman was trampled to death in Nagaon district.
Sonitpur Incident
The Sonitpur incident took place at Bogijuli near Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary. The victim was identified as Dewali Toppo, who was killed inside his own compound. A villager said that on Wednesday night, Dewali and a few others went to check on a wild elephant that came near his house and tried to drive it out of the village. But the elephant chased them. “Others escaped, but the elephant chased Dewali and he was running towards his home but was trampled to death,” said a villager. The villager added that the elephant was entering the village for the past few days to eat bananas and vegetables. Dewali’s body was found near his kutcha house, which was also damaged. Villagers demanded active electric fencing to keep elephants away and adequate compensation for the family.
Nagaon Incident
In central Assam’s Nagaon district, where wild elephants have been entering villages for the past few days, another attack took place on Wednesday night in the Kandali area under the Kathiatoli forest range. A woman, Rupali Rongpi, was killed, and her body was found near her home. Her husband and 10-year-old child had a close shave, though their house was damaged. The elephant reportedly dragged her out of the house and trampled her on the nearby road. “Forest staff was alert but the area was vast. The house was just in the foothills and close to a forest area,” said Kathiatoli forest range officer Girish Kumar Borah. He added that with jackfruit, other fruits and Boro paddy in season, elephants have been moving into villages near forest areas for food.
Karbi Anglong Incident
In Karbi Anglong district’s Arusa Adivasi village in Bokajan, an elephant attacked a house the same night. The father woke up, picked up his child and tried to flee. “Mother fled the scene and the elephant caught the father and son. The father was injured and the child was trampled to death,” said a neighbour.
Firing Incident Injures Five
In a separate incident, five people were injured in firing by forest personnel in Nagaon district when a forest team tried to drive away a wild elephant in the Barama area of Samaguri. Several stray bullet fragments hit villagers gathered at the spot. The injured were taken to a government hospital in Samaguri and later discharged after doctors found them out of danger. The elephant entered a wetland early on Wednesday morning and could not leave because locals had gathered around it. Forest officials said the animal became agitated after the crowd closed in. “To control the situation, we had to fire a round. Otherwise, there could have been some casualty. We will have to keep a close watch on its movement,” said a forest official.
