Hojai district is facing a severe crisis due to the rising human–elephant conflict. In the early days of the New Year, a third fatality has occurred, spreading fear, anger, and deep concern across forest-fringe communities. In just four days, three people have lost their lives in separate incidents involving wild elephants.
The latest incident took place on the night of January 4 in the Radhanagar area of Hojai, where a middle-aged man, identified as Prakash Biswas, was trampled to death after a herd of wild elephants strayed into the locality in search of food. Local sources reported that the elephants broke into Biswas’s house, completely destroying the structure and attacking those inside. Amid the chaos, Prakash Biswas was crushed to death on the spot.
Frequent incursions of wild elephants into human settlements have left residents living in constant fear and sleepless nights. Locals allege that the Forest Department has failed to take effective preventive measures to control the regular movement of elephants from forest areas into villages, resulting in growing panic after sunset.
Forest officials and Hojai police reached the spot following the incident and initiated necessary formalities. However, the tragedy has once again raised serious questions about preparedness, early-warning mechanisms, and long-term mitigation strategies to address the escalating conflict.
The death of Prakash Biswas marks the third fatal elephant attack in the district since the start of the New Year. On January 1, 55-year-old Basudev Chouhan, a resident of the Milik Basti area, was killed when a wild elephant attacked him while he was grazing his cow near the forest.
A day later, on January 2, another tragic incident occurred near the Theplaguri forest area adjacent to Komorakata. A group of eight people returning from a picnic after sunset was suddenly surrounded by a herd of wild elephants. In the attack, Anil Kumar Singh, a resident of the Moina Pur area of Hojai, was trampled to death on the spot.
The multiple fatalities have intensified demands for rapid and effective measures to control the human–elephant conflict in the district.
