Guwahati: Two wild elephants caused significant damage in Halowagaon in Assam’s Nagaon district on Saturday when they entered the village and destroyed a man’s house, leaving the family without shelter.
The elephants had been roaming the area earlier in the day and returned at night, damaging the bamboo walls and scattering belongings.
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“I heard the crash and thought it was thunder,” recalled a neighbor. “By the time we came out with torches, the elephants had already brought the house down.”
This is not an isolated incident. Human-wildlife conflict, particularly involving elephants, has been increasing in Nagaon district in recent years.
Elephants often enter farmlands and villages, especially during the harvest season or floods, in search of food. Residents have been using night patrols, firecrackers, and makeshift barriers to protect their crops and homes.
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Nagaon is home to key wildlife habitats, including Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary, the Laokhowa–Burachapori ecosystem, and parts of Kaziranga National Park.
The district also has around 379 wetlands and marshlands that support various bird and aquatic species, but these areas also bring wildlife closer to human settlements.
While elephants are the main concern, other species also cause conflicts in Nagaon. Leopards attack livestock, wild boars raid crops, rhinos from Kaziranga enter villages, and tigers and gaur cross agricultural lands. These encounters can result in both human and animal casualties.
Between 2000 and 2023, Assam recorded over 1,468 human deaths and about 1,209 elephant deaths due to human-elephant conflict.
While the exact number of fatalities in Nagaon varies each year, compensation records show multiple human deaths, injuries, and regular elephant deaths due to electrocution, poisoning, and road accidents.
Illegal settlements, agricultural expansion, and sand mining along riverbanks have reduced elephant corridors and grasslands.
Large areas of forest have been turned into cropland, forcing elephants to cross villages during their traditional migration. Riverbank erosion has also driven herds into populated areas.
The primary causes of conflict are shrinking forest cover, fragmented grasslands, and crops like paddy and maize, which attract elephants during lean months. Seasonal flooding in Kaziranga and Laokhowa further pushes wildlife into human habitation.
In response, the Assam Forest Department and district administration have set up rapid response teams, solar-powered fencing, night patrols, and early warning systems in some hotspots.
Compensation schemes are available for deaths, injuries, and property loss. Proposals for habitat restoration and elephant corridor protection are also under discussion.
However, challenges remain, such as delays in compensation, insufficient fencing, a lack of community deterrent systems, and continued illegal encroachment on forest and riverbank lands.
Experts warn that without urgent action, the situation in Nagaon could worsen.
“We are losing both people and elephants,” said a senior forest officer. “The solution lies in protecting corridors, restoring food sources inside forests, and ensuring that human settlements do not expand into critical wildlife areas.”
For residents of Halowagaon, the issue is already at their doorstep. Last night’s incident is a reminder that, in Nagaon, people and wildlife now face shared challenges.