Tripura, Dec 23: The foothills of Atharamura mountains have been filled with hundreds of villagers who have blocked NH8 in Teliamura in Khowai district seeking assurances that wild elephants will be eradicated, as the menace has been continuing for a few days.
Wild elephants have been impacting the agricultural fields and properties of the villagers because forests and wildlife officials haven’t done enough to protect them.
Many villagers, mostly women, rallied in front of the Sub Divisional Magistrate’s office and raised banners demanding that steps be taken to prevent elephants from entering human habitations, as well as adequate compensation for the villagers who had fallen victim to elephant attacks.
Following assurances from the administration that they would be considered, the villagers retreated from their blockade at NH8.
The latest incident was on Wednesday night when a herd of wild elephants raided a village under Kalyanpur Police Station, causing damage to eight houses and several crops of vegetables and paddy.
The villages in the foothill of the Atharamura and Baramura ranges have been getting the victim of depredations by wild elephants.
Elephants spent all night in the villages and local people managed to drive them away in the morning after they were startled by the sudden attack.
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The villagers fled in all directions in a state of terror to escape the sudden attack. It is claimed that the police were notified after forest officials did not respond to repeated calls.
There are no sheds on the heads where the villagers can take shelter from attacks by the herd of elephants in the foothills of the two mountain ranges.
These villages experience elephant attacks on a regular basis. The elephants ransack the villages every winter and destroy their agricultural products.
