Wild elephant kills elderly woman in Tripura’s Khowai district, sparking violent protests, highway blockade, and attacks on officials. Authorities promise compensation, fencing, and relocation measures as human-elephant conflict intensifies near forest corridor settlements.
Tension ran high in Mungiakami area of Teliamura under Khowai district of Tripura on Saturday after a frenzied crowd of locals went violent and ran amok while staging blockaded on the highway protesting the death of a woman due to an elephant attack at Jumbari village- a settlement located adjacent to the state’s only elephant corridor.
Manimala Debbarma, 70, was trampled by the wild jumbo late on Friday night, said victim’s son, Ajit Debbarma. Enraged by her death, the local villagers brought her mortal remains to the highway and staged a blockade from Saturday morning.
The killing of the woman by the wild elephant triggered widespread anger among local residents, leading to a volatile situation in the area.
According to reports, two journalists and the Sub-Divisional Forest Officer (SDFO) were also attacked while attempting to gather information about the incident, as the situation quickly escalated into one resembling a battleground.
Enraged locals, outraged by the woman’s death, also attacked the local forest office.
The SDFO sustained injuries in the violence, while the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) reportedly fled the scene to escape the mounting mob fury.
Two local journalists Hirnamoy Roy and Naren Chakraborty who went to cover the protests had also been heckled and harassed by the protestors. Naren Chakraborty was injured in the assault.
Eyewitnesses alleged that police personnel present at the spot remained largely passive, acting as mere spectators during the chaos.
The protestors alleged that due to the negligence of the forest department officials, instances of human-elephant conflict in the human settlements adjacent to the forest areas had been rising substantially. The protestors also accused the administration of being out of reach at the time of crisis.
The blockade on Assam-Agartala national highway led to serious traffic inconvenience bringing the normal movement of vehicles to a grinding halt. On being informed, local forest officers and SDM rushed to the spot only to face the heat of the protests.
The aggressive protestors chased the officials away and also vandalised the local forest office. Under heavy security, the SDM and SDFO Dhiren Kaloi had been rescued from the spot.
Speaking on the issue, SDPO Teliamura Rohan Keshan said that the situation had been brought under control and normal traffic movement had been restored. “We have arranged more than sufficient security in the area in order to prevent further escalation of the tension. The local SDM and SDFO had faced resistance and aggression but they had been rescued unhurt,” he said.
The SDPO said that the protestors had been convinced to lift their protests after several rounds of talks.
The situation in the area continues to remain tense following the incident.
The Sub-Divisional Forest Officer and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Teliamura subdivision, in a joint undertaking, assured that compensation would be disbursed by Saturday itself in accordance with government rules and regulations.
“An amount of Rs 1 lakh has been issued by the Forest Department (DFO, Khowai), and Rs 4 lakh will be paid by Saturday itself from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) through the SDM, Teliamura,” the joint statement said.
The undertaking further stated that the Jumbari habitation area would be secured with solar electric fencing and elephant-proof trenches to prevent future incidents.
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“Work will begin immediately, and the process of relocating the problematic elephant will also be initiated following due procedure,” it added.
According to the joint statement, a proposal for the regularisation of volunteers will be sent to the Forest Headquarters and subsequently to the state government for approval. “The process will be fast-tracked, and every effort will be made to complete it on priority,” it said.
Officials noted that such incidents are not new to the region. Over the past several years, at least five people have been killed in wild elephant attacks in the Khowai district alone.
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Forest officials said wild elephants often venture outside forest zones in search of food and water, sometimes leading to fatal encounters with humans. As a precautionary measure, residents living near forested areas occasionally install electric fences, which have also resulted in the deaths of some elephants.
