Dimapur, March 17 (EMN): Concerned community watchers have advised government authorities to take urgent measures to mitigate and rein in the ‘human-elephant conflict’ in certain areas of Wokha district to prevent “resentment” from the rural populations against the animals.
A nongovernmental conversation group called the Green-Sons issued a press release on Sunday stating the concern.
‘Wokha district is witnessing an abnormal rise in case of human-elephant conflicts in the recent times and in the absence of an effective/proper mitigation mechanism have resulted in an unaccountable number of casualties on both the sides,’ the group stated.
The organisation expressed fear that such events might result in “resentment against the wild elephants amongst the farming communities of Wokha district, which could result in wild elephants being killed or even (lead to) elimination of entire wild elephant population in the district.”
The group has suggested to the government authorities to adopt mitigation measures such as constructing watch towers; digging trenches at strategic points; adapting livelihood programs and projects for farmers; work on habitat regeneration programmes for elephants; and engaging forest watchmen especially at Bagthy valley ‘where the elephants habitat permanently,’ and other sensitive areas.
These suggestions may be considered with priority and put into action to mitigate the human-elephant conflict for peaceful coexistence of the two entities in the affected areas, the group stated.
The press release listed a number of untoward events that have seen death and destruction. The Green-Sons mentioned a ‘stampede of a farmer’ from Mekokla village on Nov. 15 2018; electrocution of two elephants at Sanis in the month of November 2018; and the destruction of farmlands and property at Bagthy on Nov. 25 2018; “rampaging of sugar cane field” at Mekokla village on Dec. 24 2018.
The most recent case was the destruction of a plantation and crops besides farmhouses at Longtsung village on March 7, the press release stated. Stated events are some of the many eventualities that have been reported and “yet so many conflicts remain unreported as well,” the organisation stated.
‘As a result many farmers have had to abandon their farming activities for fear of such menace. It may also be noted that about a dozen of human life has lost in the last ten years: two from Akuk, three from Longtsung, two from Mekokla, and one from Bhandari village etc.’
