Agartala, June 22: Sleepless nights and frantic escapes for survival—this has become the grim reality for residents of Krishnapur in Tripura’s Khowai district, where fear of wild elephant attacks looms large over daily life.
The problem of elephant intrusions in Krishnapur and Mungiakami in the Baramura hill range under the Teliamura subdivision is far from new.
Over the years, multiple incidents of fatal elephant encounters have occurred. In addition to tragic loss of lives, destruction of homes and damage to agricultural lands have become distressingly routine for villagers.
Despite repeated assurances from the authorities, locals claim the administration has failed to implement any meaningful or long-term solution to prevent these recurring incursions.
The latest incident unfolded during the early hours of Sunday in North Krishnapur, when a herd of wild elephants stormed into the village, destroying several homes.
Terrified residents scrambled for safety amid the chaos. Forest department volunteers eventually reached the spot and managed to bring the situation under partial control.
But growing frustration among the villagers is evident. Many say they are tired of the government’s lip service and temporary compensation measures, which they feel trivialize their suffering.
“Our demand is not for compensation anymore,” a resident said. “We want a permanent solution—keep the elephants away from our homes, make our village safe.”
As similar attacks are being reported from various parts of the state at regular intervals, the lack of sustainable measures to prevent such conflicts is increasingly drawing concern. What makes the issue more complex is Tripura’s fast-depleting forest cover. According to a recent report from the Union government, the state has lost nearly 100 square kilometers of forest area in recent years.
This shrinking forest habitat raises a pressing question—are wild elephants truly encroaching into human territory, or is it humans who are steadily intruding into theirs?
