JAMUGURIHAT, Feb 19 – Coming from Panpur Reserve Forest (6th addition of Kaziranga National Park), depredation of wild elephants is becoming a common feature in the southern part of Jamuguri area which includes revenue villages like Amdara, Hokoma, Panpur, Puraniveti, Nepali Panchigaon, Panchigaon, Habipal, Mohmorapar, Erabari and Borbhagiagaon under Naduar revenue circle (NRC) within East Sonitpur Forest Division of Sonitpur district.
A herd of the giants consisting of 20 to 25 elephants including three menacing ones have been continuously damaging sugarcane cultivation, dwelling houses of BPL people and standing crops of the people of the said area since 1999. The elephants killed seven people last year in the southern part of Jamuguri area and between February 3-11 last, Phul Kumar Barman (8), Rishiraj Ghimiree (14), Smt Rekha Gowala (42) and Sri Nayanta Nath (19) were trampled to death by a menacing wild elephant of the herd. Sonadhar Doley, CCF (Wildlife), Assam has directed the Conservator of Forests, North Assam Circle to kill the menacing elephant and deputed Dinesh Choudhury, well-known elephant expert and hunter to kill the dangerous elephant. Choudhury has already started his operation to trace out the elephant in the southern part of Jamuguri area. The people of Jamuguri area have however alleged that due to the negligence of Kaziranga National Park (KNP) authority, depredation by the wild elephants in the revenue villages of southern part of Jamuguri area under Naduar Revenue Circle has been increasing since 1999.
According to forest sources, the Govt of Assam has included 6095 hectares of Panput Reserve Forest under 6th addition of Kaziranga National Park (KNP) by a notification during September, 1985 under section 35 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Under the said Govt Notification, Govt of Assam has included 40,150 hectares of reserve forest land contagious to the habitat of wild animals and wild elephants i.e. western and northern part of Kaziranga National Park (KNP) and river bank of the river Brahmaputra from Behali to Kaliabhomora Bridge (KBB). But no proper steps have been initiated by the Kaziranga National Park authority to protect the 6th addition of Kaziranga National Park from encroachers while it has also failed to prevent illegal pouching, illegal fishing in the park area.
But after a long gap, i.e. on December 5, 1999 DFO, East Sonitpur Forest Division officially handed over the notified Reserve Forest Land (so called KNP 6th addition) to Kaziranga National Park authority. Accordingly forest staff under Chief Conservator of Forest (T), Assam deployed at Panpurghat were withdrawn on February 17, 2000 after receiving a message from the CCF (T), Assam by the then DFO, East Sonitpur Forest Division. And after the withdrawal of the normal forest staff the Kaziranga National Park authority should have deployed their staff but till today the park authority has neglected the whole matter after only erecting a signboard at Panpurghat, the people alleged.