In a troubling event, a herd of wild elephants wreaked havoc on homes in Niz Makum village, situated in the 83 No. Margherita Constituency of Tinsukia district, on the night of July 11. This destructive episode is linked to ongoing deforestation in the Upper Dehing forest reserve, which has driven the elephants to seek food in human habitats.
The residents of Margherita sub-division, under the Digboi Forest Division, are all too familiar with such distressing incidents. The depletion of forest resources has led to an increased frequency of elephants invading human settlements, tragically resulting in fatalities due to trampling.
On the night in question, elephants emerged from the Upper Dehing forest reserve and caused extensive damage to homes in Niz Makum village, Ward No. 6, within the Bhittorpowai Gaon Panchayat area of Margherita Legislative Assembly Constituency. The victims included Sukmon Proja, Rajen Proja, Promila Proja, and Hunkon Konwar.
Rajen Proja described the terrifying ordeal, stating, “Due to rampant deforestation in the Upper Dehing reserve forest, wild elephants entered our residential areas in search of food and vandalized our houses. We barely managed to escape with our family members.”
Proja expressed dire concerns for the future, warning that continued deforestation could deplete the Upper Dehing forest reserve entirely. He sharply criticized Digboi Forest Division’s Divisional Forest Officer T. C. Ranjith Ram and other officials for failing to halt illegal logging.
“The elephants will end up residing in our areas, continuously destroying our homes,” Proja lamented, emphasizing the urgent need for effective forest management to prevent further human-wildlife conflicts.
This incident highlights the critical need for immediate action to address deforestation and implement sustainable forest management practices to mitigate the adverse impacts on both wildlife and human communities.
