DIBRUGARH, Nov 19 ? 25 families of the Lezai-Sessa area, south-west of the city have been rendered homeless by a herd of wild elephants in the past few days. The affected families have been provided shelter at a relief camp, which was opened on Tuesday under the auspicious of a local NGO, Asom Bikash Mancha. The district administration Wednesday chipped in by giving away some blankets and foodstuff.
Angry villagers of the Lezai area Wednesday afternoon sat in a demonstration on the national highway at Sessa Tiniali, 16 kms from here. They dispersed after senior officials of the district administration promised them early relief measures. According to additional deputy commissioner Bhabendra Kumar Saikia, elephant depredation in the Lezai and Kolakhowa areas have become a routine event every winter in the last six years. The herd normally moves out of the Medla reserved forest in the late afternoon hours to the nearby villages to forage. With villagers going nearer to the forests for agricultural purposes, the resultant man-elephant conflict has become inescapable.
Saikia told The Assam Tribune here Wednesday that officials of the forest department have arranged for three kunki elephants to prevent the wild herd from venturing out of the forest. Following the deployment since Tuesday afternoon, the menace has been checked somewhat. However, villagers are afraid to go back, fearing fresh depredations by the end.