Rampaging elephants devastate Longla for second time in a week

August 13, 2024 6 Views No Comment

Villagers plead for government action

Morung Express News
Wokha | August 13

In a severe escalation of an ongoing crisis, a herd of 14 elephants re-entered Longla village under Wokha District on the night of August 10th, just days after their initial incursion on August 6th. The elephants have ravaged seven paddy fields, destroying field huts, crops, vegetables, and especially sugarcane, which is the sole source of the villagers’ livelihood.

The Longla Village Council Chairman, Nribemo Ngullie, personally inspected the extensive damage and urgently appealed to the Nagaland Government for immediate intervention. He warned that the situation for the villagers has worsened dramatically, as these repeated invasions threaten their very survival.

Despite the efforts of Forester Zaremo Kithan, who provided bomb crackers, and the villagers’ attempts to drive the elephants away using burning tyres and other methods, the measures have proved ineffective. The frequency and intensity of these elephant attacks are higher than in previous years, leaving the community in a state of growing despair.

Ngullie expressed deep frustration and grief, noting that despite years of reporting these incidents to the government, no significant action has been taken and expressed that the villagers now find themselves at the mercy of these relentless attacks, with their livelihoods hanging in the balance.