• Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura 

Agartala, December 23, 2021 : Exasperated with the menace of wild elephants, hundreds of villagers of Tripura’s Chakmaghat area in Teliamura under Khowai district today held a blockade of the National Highway-08, and continued the same for six long hours.

The villagers have been suffering due to wild elephants imperil for the last few days in Teliamura sub-division.

They alleged “To protect the agricultural fields and properties of the villagers from the wild elephants, the forest and wildlife officials are not doing enough.”

The annoyed villagers withdrew their blockade in the afternoon after receiving assurance from the administration about considering their demands.

One of the villagers who participated in the road blockade said “The department assured us that the wild elephants will be shifted to some other place. As many houses and paddy fields were destroyed by the elephants, we have demanded the administration to initiate positive steps within 72 hours to contain the menace of these wild animals.”

“The sufferings of villagers continued for several years, but no positive steps were initiated till date despite our deputation to the administration. We also demanded financial compensation for the victims at the earliest”, the villager added.

Khowai district’s Forest Officer Neeraj Kumar Chanchal told reporters that “The villagers had blocked the national highway due to the loss incurred by them as the elephants had destroyed their paddy production during the harvesting season. Their demands are being noted and initiatives would be taken to consider those while the demands will also be sent to the headquarters”.

Reportedly, the villages in the foothills of Atharamura and Baramura under Teliamura sub-divisions are becoming the victims of destruction by wild elephants and on Wednesday night, the latest incident took place when a herd of tuskers raided the localities and damaged eight houses and large production of paddy and vegetables.