Goalpara: Rise in elephant menace compels farmers to harvest crops in advance

Man-elephant conflict in Assam is a regular affair, however, during winters the conflict reaches its peak as elephants often stray into human habitats in search of food, and during this course, they damage several houses and croplands.

Meanwhile, farmers in Goalpara district are forced to cut half-ripened crops to save it from elephants. As per sources, elephant menace has increased in different parts of the district including Dahikta, Rajapara, Mornai, Gopalpur etc.

For the past few days, a herd of wild elephants has been frequenting the paddy fields and destroying the crops. A large group of wild elephants comprising of 30-35 elephants have been damaging crops at the Kaimari field of Dahikata.

The villagers who are dependent on rice cultivation are looking towards a bleak future as they are left with no other option other than harvesting the crops in advance.