A herd of 48 tuskers attacked the village of Ausgram in North Bengal on Thursday, ransacking paddy fields and damaging property. According to reports, the residents of Ausgram got involved in a dispute with the forest department staff over the issue and the dangers of crop failure after the incident.
The locals reportedly tried to chase away the elephants by asking the forest workers to move away from their posts. This created tension between the two sides, and the police had to intervene. The forest department has assured compensation for the damaged crops.
At around 10 am on Thursday, the elephants crossed the Damodar River and entered the rocky area of Ghalsi before crossing over to Ausgram. Farmers allege that the paddy was ready to be picked off and stored when the elephant attack destroyed it completely.
When the forest officials refused to do anything to rein in the herd of elephants, the locals complained to the forest workers. When tensions arose following a quarrel, Ausgram police reached the spot and took control of the situation.
The forest department has reportedly promised to compensate the farmers for damaged crops. According to officials, the compensation will be handed out after calculating the amount of crop loss in the affected land.
Instances of elephants attacking and ransacking villages in North Bengal are not new. Rogue tuskers inflict a lot of damage on human lives and livelihood. According to a study published in the Hindustan Times in 2020, around 500 people have been killed in Bengal by elephants since 2015.
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