Imrongkumba Aier
Aliba (Mokokchung), November 15
Men and animals conflict has been occurring in Aliba village for the past 15 years after the wild elephants started rampage in the main rice valley of the village.
“My whole year toil has been destroyed just in few nights,” said Lanukaba Pongen in deep distress, whose paddy field was destroyed by the wild elephants recently. He looks after his mother who is around 70 years old.
The villagers of the Aliba have been facing this animal conflict since 2000. The villagers tried all methods, not to harm the animals but to scare them off deep into the jungle as directed by the concerned department.
Lanukaba Pongen also informed that they spent more than twenty thousand rupees in buying crackers to scare the elephants away.
“We contribute money for buying kerosene, firewood and crackers for the volunteers who stayed overnight to watch our paddy fields,” said Lanukaba, who lost 70 percent of his paddies to the wild elephants. Dozens of elephant’s footprint marks were seen in the paddy field.
An army veteran (2nd Naga Regiment) Yanglu Pongen said, “After the wild elephants started destroying the paddies and huts more than four families have abandoned their fields.” He also added that 12 huts including huge portion of paddy fields were destroyed by the elephants this year.
Yanglu Pongen also mentioned that the wild elephant’s havoc starts from June to November every years and this year they are approximately 15 elephants around the Aliba valley (paddy fields). The farmers disclosed that the Dobashis also inspected the damage area last year but there is still no response.
There are some twenty farmers who were affected by the havoc in the Aliba rice valley.
The farmers also appealed to the State government to look into the issue and respond to the grievances of the people at the earliest.
