Boko: A herd of wild elephants, including calves, has been spotted near the Boko area in recent days, triggering fear among residents from Pakharapara, Dakuapara, Chandmari, Mouman, Tangabari, Sakhati, Jongakhuli, and several other nearby villages.
The herd’s movement from the forests into populated areas has deprived villagers of sleep and raised concerns about their safety.
According to villagers, the elephant herd typically grazes in the nearby reserve forest area. However, they recently entered the villages in search of food, prompting villagers to chase them from one side to the other. As a result, the local residents are unable to tend to their paddy fields and other agricultural activities.
In the evening hours, the herd of elephants rushes into the village from the Pakharapara reserve forest. As a result, the Boko-Jongkhuli road is closed for approximately one hour daily.
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Local residents suspect that the herd of elephants may be stuck in the area due to ongoing expansion works on National Highway 17 in the Singra Reserve Forest area. State forest officials have confirmed that over 7 thousand Sal trees have been cut down for the highway expansion. However, they assured that elephant corridors have been identified in the area, and the highway authority will undertake the expansion without disrupting these vital pathways for the elephants.
The locals alleged that the state forest department has not taken any action to drive the herd of elephants away from the populated areas back into the forest. This area falls under the jurisdiction of the Singra Forest Range of the West Kamrup Division.
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