924 killed in Assam in 10 years in man-elephant conflict

Guwahati, Mar 30 (PTI) As many as 924 people got killed in man-elephant conflicts in Assam in the last 10 years, Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya told the Assembly on Wednesday.

In a written reply, the minister also said that the number of people injured in such conflicts during the period stood at 772.

Replying to a query by BJP MLA Terash Gowalla, the minister said conflicts were mostly reported from 16 districts — Goalpara, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Nagaon, Hojai, Udalguri, Baksa, Majuli, Golaghat, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Chirang, Tinsukia, Kamrup, Darrang and Sivasagar.

Congress MLA Bhaskar Jyoti Baruah, on his part, said along with humans, the elephants are also get killed in the conflicts.

BJP legislator Rupjyoti Kurmi informed the House that Assam had over 5,600 elephants.

“Elephants from neighbouring hill states come to the plains of Assam in search of food… The Assam government should seek the Centre’s help in this regard,” he added.