Series of elephant attacks in villages under Teliamura sub-division in Tripura had already traumatized villagers – the agony of villagers turned into anger after death of 50-year old Khingloti Debbarma at Telaimura area on Thursday (January 28). As her mortal remains reached her native place, villagers vented their anger by blocking the Assam-Agartala road at Chakmaghat and raised demand for compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the relatives of the deceased woman and permanent solution to the unabated jumbo trouble.
Demanding financial assistance to family members of Khingloti Debbarma who was trampled by a tusker in Teliamura area on Thursday, local people blocked the NH at Chakmaghat on Friday. Agitating locals also demanded sustainable safety measures to prevent elephant attacks.
Notably, several villages under Teliamura sub-division witnessed increase in elephant raids causing damage to human life, properties and crops. However, the Forest department has, so far, failed to devise any safety measure to thwart elephant attacks.
“We have urged the forest department personnel to take protective steps like setting up camps to drive out elephants out to enter into villages etc. However, the deparment officials have ignored our pleas, so far and we the helpless villagers are falling victims to raging elephants”, said one of the agitators.
On Thursday, a tuskar attacked a passenger vehicle. Even though other passengers managed to flee, Khingloti Debbarma fell prey to rampaging elephant and when brought to hospital, she was declared brought dead.
Today, after her mortal remains reach her native place, locals burst into anger and swamped into the Assam-Agartala NH at Chakmaghat. Agitating villagers blocked the road and demanded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to family members of Khingloti and permanent measures to stop elephant attacks.
Even though several vehicles on both sides became stranded due to the blockade, no officials from the local administration, except Police, reached the spot to talk to the agitating villagers. Almost one-and-half hours later, Police persuaded the villagers to withdraw the blockade assuring the Police would inform the higher authority about the demands raised by the villagers.