Jess T Murry
Chairman, Green-SONS
Wokha District is witnessing an abnormal rise in case of Human-Elephant conflicts in the recent time and in the absence of an effective/ proper mitigation mechanisms have resulted in an unaccountable numbers of casualties on both the sides. Mention may be made of the the stampede of a farmer from Mekokla village on 15th Nov. 2018, electrocution of two Wild Elephants at Sanis in the month of November 2018 and destruction of farmlands and properties at Bagthy on 25th Nov.2018, rampaging of sugar cane field at Mekokla village on 24th Dec.2018. and the most recent destruction of plantation and crop farms and farmhouses at Longtsung village on 7th of March 2019 are some of the many eventualities reported and yet so many conflicts remain unreported as well. As a result many farmers have to abandon their farming activities for fear of such menaces( it may also be noted that about a dozen of human life has lost in the last ten years, 2 fromAkuk,3 from Longtsung, 2 from Mekokla, 1 from Bhandari village etc.). It is thus, feared that this encounter may result in resentment against the wild elephants amongst the farming communities of Wokha District which could result in wild elephants being killed or even elimination of entire wild elephant population in the District.
In such evident circumstances, the competent Department authority may earnestly adapt certain mitigation measures such as, construction of elephant Watch Towers digging of trenches at strategic points, adapting livelihood programs and projects for the farmers, habitat regeneration for the elephants and also engaging of forest Watchmen especially at Bagthy valley where the elephants habitats permanently and other sensitive areas be considered Paramount importance and materialized as an action components for Human-elephant conflicts mitigation for peaceful coexistence of the two entities.
