The human-elephant conflict in Assam is escalating rapidly, leading to a significant increase in fatalities, crop destruction, and property damage throughout the State. Reports indicate that Assam has recorded 71 human casualties and 41 elephant deaths so far this year, highlighting a troubling trend in human losses.
Conservationist Kaushik Barua revealed that from October 23 to November 16, 11 elephants died unnaturally due to intentional electrocution. With paddy fields nearing harvest and livelihoods at stake, Barua cautioned that the conflict is likely to worsen unless the government implements urgent measures. He described the intentional electrocution of elephants as having reached epidemic levels.
Barua further raised concerns over the pressures faced by the Asian elephant, citing habitat loss, environmental degradation, climate change, train collisions, and electrocution as major threats. In correspondence with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, secretary general of Aaranyak, emphasized that the human death toll in natural disasters rarely matches the current figures from this conflict and called for immediate government intervention.
Talukdar highlighted the need for collaboration among various departments to address the issue effectively, rather than placing the entire responsibility on the forest department. He suggested that given the classification of human-elephant conflict as a ‘State Disaster,’ the State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) should expedite ex gratia compensation for human deaths within two working days. He argued that timely compensation could mitigate resentment and potentially deter retaliatory killings of elephants.
Furthermore, Talukdar recommended that if families refuse post-mortem procedures, a report from a registered government doctor should suffice as valid documentation. He insisted that police investigations into illegal electrocution of elephants must occur to hold offenders accountable and deter further incidents.
As part of his proposals, Talukdar stated that ex gratia payments for crop and property damage should be managed by the ASDMA rather than the forest department, asserting that these incidents typically happen in human-populated areas outside forests. He advocated for compensation to be delivered within 14 working days and suggested that shifting these responsibilities would relieve forest officials, allowing them to focus on maintaining natural habitats and reducing the likelihood of elephants entering human settlements.
A study from 2000 to 2023 revealed that 1,468 individuals lost their lives and 337 others sustained injuries due to encounters with elephants in Assam, while 626 elephants died from human-related causes during the same timeframe.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/assam/assam-reports-71-human-and-41-elephant-deaths-in-rising-manelephant-conflict-1598416
Category: Assam,Featured
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Publish Date: 2025-11-19 11:05:00
