Wild elephants cause fear and disrupt daily life in Bahundangi village

In Jhapa, the middle of Ashadh is typically a crucial time for farmers to work hard in the fields to harvest crops for the year. However, for the residents of Bahundangi in Mechinagar-4, this period is overshadowed by concerns for their safety and property rather than the rush of rice planting. Wild elephants, including calves, have started to settle in the village during the day, causing the locals to live in fear.

Herds of 40 to 50 elephants frequently come from India, sometimes returning there, while other times staying in the tea gardens and bushes of Bahundangi throughout the day. The presence of calves makes these elephants more aggressive, spreading fear among villagers about potential incidents.

The elephant menace has become so severe that parents are unable to send their children to school, fearing encounters with elephants on the way, which is disrupting their education. Farmers, instead of planting rice in the muddy fields of Ashadh, are risking their lives to chase away the elephants all day long.

Local youths, villagers, and police teams are trying to drive the elephants away from human settlements to safer areas by using sirens and other methods, but these efforts have only proven to be temporary solutions. Arjun Karki, the ward chairperson of Mechinagar-4, stated that local government and security personnel are continuously working in the field to ensure public safety. He mentioned, “With the help of local youths, Nepal Police, and Armed Police, we are using sirens to drive the elephants from settlements and tea gardens back towards India. This problem cannot be solved by local efforts alone; the federal government needs to take concrete steps.”

Nilkantha Tiwari, a long-suffering resident of Bahundangi, expressed his frustration and sorrow, saying, “We have submitted a memorandum through the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and Chief District Officer to take action for control, but there has been no response.”

The conflict between Bahundangi and the elephants has persisted for decades. This natural corridor, used by elephants from Assam and West Bengal in India to Nepal’s Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, has been disrupted by human settlement expansion and deforestation, forcing elephants into the villages.

The electric fencing installed at great expense along the border has deteriorated in many places, and elephants have found new ways into the villages by breaking branches or toppling poles. Additionally, the lack of sufficient food like bamboo, siru, and bananas in the forests, and the availability of stored grains or rice fields in the villages, attract them.

Merely using sirens or temporary measures will not solve this issue. It is essential for both Nepal and India to coordinate cross-border efforts to manage the elephants’ traditional corridor.

In the short term, the local administration needs to repair the fencing, maintain high security vigilance in affected areas, and guarantee adequate compensation to farmers to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Bahundangi.