A hutment that was destroyed by wild elephants earlier in August in Philimi village.
Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 16
For the third year in a row, farmers of Philimi village under Atoizu sub-division in Zunheboto district have been in distress owing to their paddy, hutments and other agricultural crops being damaged by wild elephants.
This year too, elephants damaged their fields recently leaving the farmers in utter distress.
Village Council Chairperson of Philimi village, Hoito told The Morung Express that volunteers from the village chased the elephants from the fields for three consecutive days on August 7, 8 and 9.
He informed that during preceding years the village authority provided photographs of destructed fields to the administration but no assistance came forward from the government’s side.
“The government tells us not to shoot the elephants and warns us of imposing Rs 1 lakh fine upon anyone who shoots the elephants. But our source of livelihood is completely destroyed every year and the government does not provide us any assistance. How can we survive?” one of the farmers said.
Out of the 130 households in Philimi village, the elephants damaged fields belonging to around 50 households, a village leader said.
However, Hoito said final assessment of the damages is yet to be ascertained.
“Pandemic affected us, deficient rainfall affected us and then the wild animals are destructing our fields. Where will poor farmers like us go in such a situation?” a distressed farmer told this newspaper on Monday.
The farmers have appealed the district administration and the concerned department to look into the issue.
