Elephants destroy crops in Longla village, again

WOKHA — Residents of Longla village are facing significant crop damage due to repeated intrusions by wild elephants, with the latest incident occurring on the night of August 10.

Several paddy fields were damaged, along with farm huts, crops, vegetables, and sugarcane, it was informed.

Longla Village Council Chairman, Nribemo Ngullie, who visited the affected sites on Monday to assess the damage, said that wild elephants have been encroaching upon village lands and destroying crops and plantations for the past four years.

Expressing disappointment over the lack of government action despite repeated appeals for assistance, he urged the state government and the Department of Wildlife and Forest to address the escalating human-elephant conflict and take it as a matter of priority.

The chairman also stressed the need for immediate intervention to ensure the livelihoods of villagers.

He confirmed that the concerned department had visited the affected sites in the past.

Villagers have resorted to using firecrackers and burning tyres to deter the elephants, but these measures have proven largely ineffective, he added.

Also read: Wild elephants damage agricultural land, crops in Wokha district