Agartala: Villagers of Teliamura Sub-division in Khowai District, Tripura, staged a protest on Friday by blocking the Assam-Agartala National Highway, seeking protection from recurring wild elephant attacks.
The demonstrators, speaking to the media, claimed that their area has been grappling with the menace for a decade, with elephants frequently invading their homes and villages, causing extensive damage to property, crops, and food supplies.
Expressing their distress, a protester stated, “We are unable to sleep properly at night. We live in fear as wild elephants launch attacks on our village almost every night. They destroy our homes and take away food and everything.”
Despite bringing up the issue with local authorities multiple times, the residents asserted that no decisive action had been taken, prompting them to resort to road blockade as a form of protest.
Highlighting the severity of the situation, another protester recounted an incident where a child was almost killed as a herd of wild elephants entered the village and wreaked havoc.
The residents lamented the lack of support from their local MLA and Minister Bikas Debbarma, emphasizing the loss of lives and displacement caused by these elephant attacks. Fruit orchards, including bananas, mangoes, coconuts, and betel nut trees, have been particularly affected.
For over a decade, the people of Teliamura sub-division have lived in constant fear due to wild elephant rampages, leading some to abandon their homes and relocate. Despite efforts, both scientific and otherwise, to protect the areas from elephant intrusions, affected families alleged a lack of assistance from the village panchayat and the forest department.
Upon receiving information about the protest, Tripura Police and Teliamura Sub-Divisional Magistrate Abhijit Chakraborty rushed to the scene.
The road blockade persisted for approximately an hour and a half, during which the Minister of the Tribal Welfare Department and MLA Bikas Debbarma found himself caught in the blockade.
The demonstration concluded after assurances were given by the minister and officials to take necessary steps to address the issue.