Humans, elephants die in equal numbers in Assam's worsening human-jumbo conflicts

70-year-old Tilotamma Ray was trampled to death by a wild elephant on October 29 in her sleep at Korkuchi village near Dudhnoi in western Assam's Goalpara district. Deaths like this are not new around Dudhnoi as jumbos come down from Garo Hills of neighbouring Meghalaya or the nearby forests to gorge on the ripening paddy and in search of water in the village wetlands.

"They run amok in the villages when we try to chase them away," said Bipin Rabha, a farmer, who lost almost half of the paddy he cultivated this year. On October 17, one elephant was found dead near a paddy field at Shantipara village near Kanyakuchi reserve forest. It was suspected to be a "revenge killing" by villagers, who, according to forest officials, were spending sleepless nights to protect their lives and crops from wild elephants.

On October 24, at Dholagaon Pathar in Golaghat district, about 400 km east, a lactating elephant was similarly found dead in a field. An investigation by forest personnel said the jumbo died due to electrocution. On December 13, carcasses of two wild elephants, allegedly killed by poisoning, were found dead at Borbhetagaon Karbi Anglong district that shares a boundary with Kaziranga National Park.

The elephants, which roam in and around many villages, particularly during the winter in search of food and water, are also getting killed by trains as they try to cross railway tracks. Five elephants have died in train hits this year so far, three after being hit by Rajdhani Express on December 2 at Barahu in Morigaon district and at Bhelaguri in Mariani in Jorhat district (a calf) in eastern Assam.

Humans and wild elephants are dying in equal numbers as the human-elephant conflicts across Assam have worsened in the past few years. According to the state forest department, 72 wild elephants have died so far this year while 61 people have been killed in jumbo attacks since January this year. Of the elephant deaths, 18 died in lightning near Kanduli proposed reserve forest in May, three each died due to electrocution and poisoning while the cause of death of 17 others is still unknown.

Sabir Nishad, public relations officer of Assam forest minister, told DH that 926 wild elephants have died in the state since 2010 while 812 people have also died during the same period. Udalguri reported the highest number of human deaths (115) followed by 103 in Sonitpur, 74 in Goalpara and 51 in Darrang district.

"Several preventive steps have been taken by forming anti-depredation squads at the village level. Solar fencing has been erected in several vulnerable areas while torch lights and firecrackers have been distributed among villagers to help them avoid direct conflict with the jumbos. There is also constant communication with the railways in order to prevent jumbo death in train hits," Nishad said.

Wildlife conservationist, Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, however, said the action on the ground has to be more proactive in order to reduce the death of both humans and elephants.

"The casualties can be reduced if concerned agencies take time-bound efforts to liaise with local communities, disburse compensation or ex-gratia within seven to 10 days and help villages to opt for alternative crops close to the elephant habitats. Will to solve this problem needs to be stronger rather than continuously accepting such huge human and elephant casualties," Talukdar, the CEO of Aaranyak, a bio-diversity conservation group said.

"For long-term solutions, the government needs to focus on habitat restoration in some key elephant landscape and plan development projects accordingly so as to avoid further human-elephant conflicts," he said.

The elephant census in 2017 found Assam with the second-highest number of wild elephants (5,719), after Karnataka.

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