SHILLONG, June 25: Elephant attacks have damaged 12 to 13 houses in Chirakatta village prompting Mawsynram MLA Ollan Singh Suin to urge the state government to provide immediate relief to the affected families.
Suin, accompanied by Wildlife Protection Department officials, visited the village on Wednesday to assess the damage and meet affected residents. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Suin said the team had gathered information for submission to relevant departments.
“We wanted to see the extent of the damage and understand the concerns of the people,” he said,noting that while the houses were not completely destroyed, they remain unsafe, forcing families to seek shelter elsewhere.
During the visit, wildlife officials demonstrated deterrent methods, such as burning dried chillies to drive elephants away with smoke. Suin suggested that similar awareness programmes be conducted in other conflict-prone villages.
“Elephants are generally not aggressive unless provoked. People need to know how to manage encounters so that conflict can be avoided,” he said.
The MLA expressed concern over the delay in compensation, noting that reports on crop and property damage from last year had been submitted, but victims are yet to receive relief.
To expedite assistance, Suin has written to the Minister in charge of Revenue and Disaster Management, requesting that such incidents be covered under disaster management provisions to ensure relief is provided within a fixed timeframe.
