Assam: Man-elephant conflict escalates as herds wreak havoc in Kamrup Rural

Rampaging herds of wild elephants, straying from the adjoining Meghalaya forest belt in search of food, have unleashed widespread destruction across the Palasbari and Rani areas, intensifying human–elephant conflict and leaving local communities in a state of fear and distress.

According to residents, elephants moving in groups have repeatedly entered agricultural fields and human settlements, flattening hundreds of bighas of standing paddy crops, uprooting trees, breaking boundary walls and fences, and damaging houses. Stored food grains and harvested paddy have also been destroyed, dealing a severe blow to farmers and daily wage earners already struggling with financial hardships. Damage to Rabi crops has further compounded the losses.

On Friday night, a herd reportedly entered Kharapara village, breaking into a cowshed where harvested paddy was stored, consuming and trampling the grain. The sudden intrusion triggered panic, forcing villagers to flee their homes in the darkness. Retired schoolteacher Nripen Sharma, along with several farmers and labourers, narrowly escaped as the elephants passed through the settlement.

Residents allege that the situation has worsened in recent days, with elephants venturing out as early as dusk, creating an atmosphere of terror in both Palasbari and Rani. Villagers have been keeping night-long vigils, lighting fires, beating tin sheets and bursting crackers to deter the animals, but these efforts have failed to prevent repeated incursions. Locals have expressed dissatisfaction over what they describe as an inadequate response from the Forest Department, while also alleging that elected representatives have not visited the affected villages to assess the damage.

The scale of the menace became more evident on Saturday when a large herd of over 40 elephants was sighted moving through Parakuchi near Mirza. The herd reportedly passed through farmlands, damaging standing paddy crops and forcing residents to remain indoors as fear spread across the area.

Amid mounting distress, a recent policy decision by the Union Ministry of Agriculture has offered some relief to affected farmers. On November 18, 2025, the Ministry approved revised modalities under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to extend coverage for crop losses caused by wild animal attacks as well as paddy crop inundation.

Under the revised framework, crop damage due to wild animal attacks will be recognised as the fifth Add-on Cover under the Localised Risk category of PMFBY. States will notify the list of wild animals responsible for crop damage and identify vulnerable districts or insurance units based on historical data. Farmers will be required to report losses within 72 hours through the Crop Insurance App by uploading geotagged photographs. The new guidelines are set to be implemented from the kharif season of 2026.

For years, farmers living near forests, wildlife corridors and hilly regions have borne mounting crop losses caused by elephants, wild boars, nilgai, deer and monkeys—losses that often went uncompensated due to the absence of insurance coverage. The revised norms are expected to address this long-standing gap.

The Ministry has also restored coverage for paddy crop inundation, which had been removed from the localised calamity category in 2018. Its reintroduction is expected to benefit farmers in flood-prone regions who have suffered repeated losses due to heavy rainfall and overflowing rivers.