Assam: NGOs denounce killing of wild elephants

Guwahati, Dec 21: Several Non-Government Organisations (NGO) yesterday jointly denounced the action of the state government in proclamation and eventual execution of an elephant recently at Behali Tea Estate in Upper Asom.

Speaking to mediapersons here, Mr Ajoy Sah of Nature Bonyapran, Mr B Talukdar of Aaranyak, Mr A Sarma of WWF-India, Mr Sujit Bainogi of Dilophin Foundtion, Mr Gautam Narayan of Ecosystems - India and Mr Abani Bhagawati of Guwahati University demanded proper protection of wild animals in the state.

''This action can at best be described as a knee-jerk reaction to the escalating human-elephant conflict in the state,'' they said adding that ''it skirts the real issue of loss and degradation of forest and human encroachments in wild areas.'' They appealed to the Chief Minister to take steps for conservation of elephants and mitigation of human-elephant conflict in Asom by initiating phasewise eviction of encroachers from the elephant dominated reserve forests in the state.

''Providing required and restored forest space for elephants can only give respite to the people from depredation by wild elephants'', they said.

They further requested the Chief Minister to direct the forest department not to proclaim any wild elephant in Asom without clearing the forest lands from encroachments.

The organistions alleged that vast wildlife and forest land were encroached by some ''doubtful'' people and government have totally failed to clear these encroachments.

Around 13 people have lost their lives in 2006 due to human- elephant conflict in the state while an equal number of wild elephants were also killed during the period, they claimed.

On tuesday, the district authority at Hojai had to impose curfew to protect the local people from the herds of about one hundred elephants who entered the town area.

Tension gripped Hojai town after a herd of elephants entered and stayed there for several hours. Senior civil and police officials, who rushed to the spot, tried to remove people from the vicinity of the elephants and had to finally impose a curfew.

It took sustained efforts for the district officials and forest personnel before the herd could be chased out of the town in the evening. For several hours the herds roamed around the campus of the Hojai College .

UNI