Bardibas, Dec. 26: Bardibas Municipality Mayor Pralahad Chhetri came out in the field to drive away the wild elephants which were causing troubles to the locals. 

After a pair of elephants started frequenting the human settlements at night, destroying houses and crops, Mayor Chhetri has joined the locals to chase the animals. 

In his initiative, a collaborative team consisting of District Coordination Committee Chief Suman Lal Karna, Superintendent of the Armed Police Force Lekhnath Khanal, Deputy Superintendent of Bardibas Area Police Bijay Yadav, Armed Forest Guards, Forest Staff, Ward chairs, and individuals affected by elephant berserks has begun searching for the elephants and chasing them from their hiding places.

The team has reached the forest areas near the East-West Railway track and Myakhare searching for the elephants and their hide. 

The search operation started from the area, based on the information provided by the local herders, who said they saw the elephants in bushes near the railway track while they were in the jungle to collect grass.

These elephants hide in the forest during the day and enter the settlement after nightfall. However, the team has not been able to find the elephants. 

But surprisingly, the elephants have stopped entering the settlement since the launching of the search operation. 

Ward Chairmen Shyam Raja Singh and Shamsher Singh Lama said that the elephants entered different villages of Bardibas Municipality Ward No. 2 and Ward No. 8, destroyed the grain and vegetable crops planted in 18 bighas of land and pulled down the houses of 15 families.

Mayor Chhetri said that he tried to drive away the elephants in his initiative after the people suffered a lot from the elephants entering the municipality. 

The ‘search and chase away’ campaign has been launched after they were left with no other option to control the elephant terror, Chhetri said.

According to him, “Because of the elephants, the people have not been able to sleep for two months, nor have they been able to grow crops.”

In recent times, conflicts between the animals and humans have escalated in the northern part of  Mahottari district when wildlife has been encroaching upon settlements in search of food.  

The scarcity of forest cover, human encroachment, lack of water, and diminishing corridors have forced the elephants to enter human settlements, foresters said.

The ecology of wildlife has suffered due to the absence of development structures that are friendly to them. Presently, forests are being cleared for national pride projects such as transmission lines, roads, and railway tracks. 

Division Forest Chief Santosh Jha said that these structures, constructed without prioritising wildlife concerns, have destroyed not only their habitats but have also impeded their natural movement.