Inhabitants of Kalyanpur village areas in Tripura – mostly farmers – continue to reel under wild elephant attacks and are losing crops as well as properties. Tuskers are wreaking havoc repeatedly in Ghilatali, West Ghilatali, North Ghilatali, Prem Singh Orang villages under Kalyanpur block and Chonkhala village under South Ghilatali village – villages under the foothills of Atharomura are the worst sufferers.
Unabated elephant attacks have put the farming community of the area under deep trouble.
“Elephant attacks in villages under Kalyanpur are nothing new – years after years, farmers are facing rampaging elephants and incurring losses. People are aghast at the indifference and inefficiency of the Forest department personnel in saving people from elephant attacks”, said one of residents of Ghilatali.
In yet another recent jumbo attack, elephants ventured out of the forest areas and strode into different villages, even during daytime. People of Baghbera, Chonkhola and other areas are living in constant fear of elephant attacks.
“Elephants are not only damaging our crops and properties, the wild beast has become a major problem for important services like education, health and transport services. A fear psychosis has gripped vast swamp of land under foothills of Athramura hills from where elephants descend into villages.
In the wake of repeated elephant attacks, the role of the forest department has irked the villagers.
“Successive jumbo attacks have proved inefficiency of the Forest Department. They are incapable of handling the elephant attacks. However, for the interests of local people, time is ripe to find ways to harness the capacity of the Forest department. They must come out with a comprehensive plan to thwart elephant attacks”, villagers of Chonkhola said. Villagers also alleged, elephants are venturing into villages as there is scarcity of food for elephants in forests.
Villagers also demanded deployment of adequate manpower to drive out rampaging elephants.