Farmers in six villages surrounding the Mala forest range of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve are confronting severe agricultural losses once again. This time, the destruction is attributed to wild elephants crossing over from Nepal, which have trampled and consumed standing wheat and sugarcane crops.
Incidents of Destruction and Farmer Distress
The situation escalated in Mahua Mustakil village, where the powerful animals did not stop at crops. The elephants uprooted two water pumping sets used for irrigation and dragged them roughly 50 meters away, compounding the losses for the already struggling farmers. Exhausted by repeated such incidents, the affected agricultural community has urgently appealed to the forest department for both immediate protection from further raids and adequate compensation for their ruined harvests.
Official Response and Patrol Measures
Deputy range officer Sher Singh explained the pattern of the elephants' movement, stating, "The jumbos stay inside the forest during the day and enter fields at night, damaging crops." Officials clarified that these animals routinely move between Nepal and India using established forest corridors that pass through the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve and adjoining protected areas.
In response to the crisis, forest teams have initiated intensified night patrols in the affected villages. The list includes:
- Mahua Mustakil
- Sirsa Sardah
- Khargapur
- Pandri
- Chaura Khera
- Goel Colony
During these patrols, personnel are using torches and firing crackers in an attempt to scare the elephants away from the farmland and back into the forest.
Assessment and Political Intervention
The scale of the damage is being formally documented. Forest authorities have received around 40 applications from farmers, reporting crop loss spread across more than 15 acres of land. These applications have been forwarded to the revenue department for official assessment, which is a necessary step before compensation can be disbursed.
Adding political weight to the farmers' plight, Barkhera BJP MLA Swami Pravakta Nand has stepped in. He has warned that if a sustainable, long-term solution to this human-elephant conflict is not devised promptly, he will escalate the matter directly to the Chief Minister of the state.
