A herd of about nine wild elephants wreaked havoc in Ïawpaw near Nongnah village under South West Khasi Hills district and destroyed houses and crops.
However, no casualties were reported. The incident happened on January 14.
Villagers have been spending sleepless nights due to elephant menace for many years and reported that their pleas to authorities always fall on deaf ears.
According to village leaders around Nongnah village, with recurring incidences of wild elephants invading fields and farms, villagers have started chasing them to the forest on their own with no help from the wildlife department.
“Now these elephants are getting upset and have started chasing people too and farmers fear to go to their fields,” Myntri of Domsohkhai village, Slanborlang Kharryja said.
He said villagers are not expecting much of the relief money from the government because the amount is meagre compared to the huge loss they incur from the wild elephant attacks.
“The relief provided by the government is once a year and we are losing our homes and crops, is for a lifetime,” he said, adding, “Farmers want shifting of these wild elephants.”
A village elder, Michael Lyngdoh said when the attacked happened yesterday, they had informed the wildlife department but waited the entire day as no officials reached the village to take stock of the situation.
