Shortage of Food and Water! Man-Elephant Conflict in the Boraligaon Village of Kaliabor Sub-Division of Nagaon District, Assam (India)

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Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 2021, Vol. 9, No. 1, 86-91
Available online at http://pubs.sciepub.com/aees/9/1/14
Published by Science and Education Publishing
DOI:10.12691/aees-9-1-14
Shortage of Food and Water! Man-Elephant Conflict in
the Boraligaon Village of Kaliabor Sub-Division of
Nagaon District, Assam (India)
Niha Dutta*
Department of Geography, Darrang College, Tezpur (Assam), India
*Corresponding author:
Received November 12, 2020; Revised December 13, 2020; Accepted December 20, 2020
Abstract Man-elephant conflict is not a new topic in today’s world as it becomes a universal problem due to its
frequent occurrence in many parts of the world. The damages and destructions caused by wild elephants is real and
significant danger to human life as well as their properties. Most of the elephants often venture into villages during
night time in the search of food, water and living space. The herd of wild elephants always trigger panic among the
local people of Boraligaon village of Nagaon district (Assam) during harvesting season which have remained
unaddressed for the people of Assam due to lack of proper communication. Thus, this paper is an attempt to assess
the nature of man elephant conflict with its impact in the study area of Boraligaon village. Keeping this in mind, it
has been tried to highlight the key issues using primary information as well as secondary collected from various
sources. The continuing man-elephant conflict during winter season has taken a serious turn in the study region
damaging most of the paddy fields in the time of harvesting which is an outcome of habitat loss and food and water
shortage of wild elephants. This conflict may be a never-ending process, but its risk can be lowered down by
adopting some scientific and systematic initiatives as well as their proper monitoring in timely.
Keywords: conflict, habitat loss, harvesting, paddy field
Cite This Article: Niha Dutta, “Shortage of Food and Water! Man-Elephant Conflict in the Boraligaon
Village of Kaliabor Sub-Division of Nagaon District, Assam (India).” Applied Ecology and Environmental
Sciences, vol. 9, no. 1 (2021): 86-91. doi: 10.12691/aees-9-1-14.
1. Introduction
Man elephant conflict is a serious concern in most of
the world’s countries and becomes a universal problem.
‘Each year, man-elephant conflict results in approximately
100 to more than 500 human deaths and damage to
10,000-15,000 houses and 8-10 million hectares of crops,
while over 200 elephants die due to human-related
activities including poaching for ivory or meat, poisoning,
cattle-borne diseases, electrocution and collision with
trains’ [1]. In simple words, man-elephant conflict refers
to the interactions between humans and elephants that
often resulting in detrimental impacts for both species. But
now question is that why does this conflict occur again
and again? What are the main reasons behind this conflict?
Basically, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, safari parks,
protected areas are the actual habitat and ideal
environmental conditions for elephants which are now
very close to or adjoining human settlements in most parts
of the world. As a result, whenever this beautiful creature
of nature comes into contact with landscapes dominated
by human in search of living space and food they pose a
great threat to human beings and their properties. ‘But
now varieties of management strategies have been
developed and are practiced at different scales for
preventing and mitigating man-elephant conflict.’ [2].
According to the 2017 census by Project Elephant,
India has the largest number of wild Asian elephants,
estimated at 29,964 representing about 60 per cent of the
species’ global population as India is the home of around
30 notified Elephant Reserves by covering an area of
about 69,582.80 km2. But rapidly expansion of human
settlements and agricultural fields has resulted in
widespread loss of elephant habitat which is progressively
forced them to closer contact with people, sparking more
frequent and severe human-elephant conflicts over space,
resulting in most dangerous effects ranging from crop
raiding to reciprocal loss of life. In India, over 500 people
and 100 elephants die every year due to conflict with each
other, while properties worth millions are damaged [3].
‘Such conflicts affect not only the population of elephant
but broaden environment impacts on ecosystem
equilibrium and biodiversity conservation also’ [4]. As a
great threat to biodiversity conservation, the management
of this conflict is must by adopting a wide variety of
prevention and mitigation approaches.
Conflict between man and elephant is not a new topic
for Assam as this greenery land of Northeast India is one
of the most important strongholds for the survival of the
Asian elephants. According to Synchronized Elephant

Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences 87
Population Estimation India 2017, in Assam, elephants are
distributed in 36 forest divisions by covering an area of
about 15,050 km2 in which elephant density is estimated
about 0.38 elephants/km2 by the Assam Forest Department.
The elephant population in Assam has increased from
5,246 in 2002 to 5,719 in 2017 by representing around
20% of India’s total wild elephant population and 10-15%
of the global Asian elephant population, but now their
lives are at risk due to alarming rate of conflict between
elephants and people. ‘This conflict has become an annual
occurrence which results not only in loss of crops, but also
destruction of properties and loss of human lives, and in
turn, retaliation against elephants. As a result of the
severity of this conflict, most of the people have taken to
poisoning and electrocuting elephants in desperate attempts
to protect their lives and livelihoods’ [6]. Among the
Northeastern states, Assam recorded the maximum
number of elephant and human life losses during the
period of 2014-2019 in which 128 elephants and 332
persons lost their lives as against no deaths of elephants
and human beings were recorded in the states of Manipur
and Mizoram during the last five years [7]. Mushrooming
of human population lead illegal and unplanned
developmental activities along the elephant corridors,
forests and natural habitats which in turn obstructing the
free movements of elephants in their habitats and corridors,
resulting in come closer to the human settlements in
search of food, water and living space.
Most of the conflicts occur in small forest pockets,
reserved forests, elephant habitats and corridors. In Assam
the districts of Sonitpur, Udalguri, Baksa, Golaghat, Nagaon,
Goalpara and Karbi Anglong are the focal points from
where most of the conflict related cases have been reported.
But within Assam, there are some such kinds of remote
areas mainly villages by surrounding some small forest
pockets where man-elephant conflicts seem to have spiraled
out of control and but yet to come on limelight. Boraligaon is
such a medium size village of Nagaon district where
man-elephant conflict becomes an annual phenomenon
during the harvesting season. Thus, this report is an
attempt to study about the nature of man elephant conflict
in the area of Boraligaon village with the major causes and
its impact on the socio-economic life of the villagers.
2. Objectives
The main objective of this report is as follows
• To assess the nature of man elephant conflict with its
impact in the study area.
Figure 1. Location Map of the Study Area

88 Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences
3. Study Area
As shown in the Figure 1 Boraligaon village is situated
5 km away from Kaliabor Block and 40 km away from
Nagaon district of Assam. This medium size village of
Kaliabor circle is bounded to the north by the mighty river
Brahmaputra, to the south by Bagser Reserve Forest, to
the east by the Kaziranga National park and to the west by
Kolong River. Its total geographical area is about 96.85
hectares. The latitudinal extension is 26°31'23.74" N and
longitudinal extension is 92°57´13.55" E. With 171 families
the total population of Boraligaon village is 879 out of
which 440 are males and 439 are females (according to Census,
2011). Along with the tropical vegetation deciduous forest
and shrubs are also found in the study region.
4. Methodology
The data necessary for this study have been obtained
from both primary and secondary sources. For the purpose
of collecting primary data out of 171 a total of 51
households have been randomly selected as sample
households in the study area. A relevant household survey
schedule has also been prepared for the collection of data
from the sample households. To attain the objective of the
study, data of last five years (2015-2019) related with
man-elephant conflict including number of elephants
death, human deaths, amount of crop damaged are
collected from Office of the Forest Department
Northern Range, Salona, Nagaon, Assam. In case of
secondary sources along with Population Census data
of 2011 and Synchronized Elephant Population Estimation
Report India 2017, various published newspapers’
reports including The Sentinel, The Economic Times,
journals, magazines and books are consulted to draw the
conclusion.
The data collected through door to door survey and
from the Office of the Forest Department Northern Range,
Salona are tabulated and analyzed. The results of the
analysis are graphically presented by cartogram including
bar diagram.
Figure 2. FLOW CHART OF METHODOLOGY

Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences 89
5. Findings and Discussion
5.1. Scenario of Man-Elephant Conflict in the
Study Area
The village Boraligaon is occupied by most of the
people of Adivasi community of Assam, constituting
about 17.01% of the total population in the study area as
per 2011 Census. Though some of the villagers’ main
occupation is agriculture but most of them are engaged in
agriculture and nearby Tea Estates including Sakmuthi,
Hatigaon, Kellyden, Amluckie etc. as a labourer and daily
wage earner. During harvesting season, man-elephant
conflict is on the rise for which villagers spend sleepless
nights in the threat of jumbo. A large herd of wild
elephants’ entry in to the paddy field during winter season
become a hazardous phenomenon in this region, resulting
in damage to crop yields, destruction of the houses and
even a death in the family. They usually come from
neighbouring Burhapahar hill and Bagser Reserve Forest
in search of food and water. Now, the continuing
man-elephant conflict during winter has taken a serious
turn in the study region damaging most of the paddy fields
in the time of harvesting.
5.2. Causes of Man-elephant Conflict
in the Study Area
It is obvious that mushrooming of human population,
continuous destruction of green cover in order to meet the
demands of needs, scarcity of food, water and living space
in the forests and blockage of elephant corridors due to
various anthropogenic developmental activities are main
driving forces for triggering man-elephant conflict in most
of the regions. For this purpose, the following reasons are
mainly responsible behind the conflict in the study area:
• During rainy season deadly monsoon floods have
ravaged Assam’s national parks, wildlife sanctuaries,
reserve forests and protected areas in which
highlands serve as a refuge for the wildlife that
migrates from the jungles. So, in the race of living
space competition they move towards highlands
instead of plain areas. As the study region is a plain
terrain, elephants frequently visit its paddy fields
during harvesting season in search of food and if
they are not find anything there or human tries to
drive away them, they start to create panic situation
in the human habitats.
• Besides, Elephants often come to the village site’s
water bodies including ponds, beels in search of
water as most of the existing elephant habitats’
water sources dry up during winter season.
• Along with banana trees, elephant apples and
grasses, elephants are very fond of homemade rice
beer. The villagers of Boraligaon are prepared this
liquid at their homes. As rice beer is a common
thing in the Adivasi community of Assam, without
which no socio-cultural functions can be performed
at all. Now, some villagers make country liquor for
commercial purposes in the study area. Thus, the
smell of this homemade rice beer invites the
elephants in to the human habitats; consequently,
they demolish the houses in search of this liquor.
• The Boraligaon village is enclosed by forest cover
on its two sides which has been gradually being
cleared for various purposes including settlements,
forest products and most importantly establishment
of small tea gardens by the villagers. By
encroaching the forest covers growing of tea
gardens contribute a lot towards fuelling the conflict
between man and elephant.
• Moreover, following various unscientific methods
to drive away elephants is one of the major causes
of increasing man-elephant conflict in the area of
Boraligaon. When a herd of elephants comes to the
agricultural fields and neighbouring water bodies,
villagers feel threatened and adopt various
unscientific methods including throwing of stones
and firecrackers, shouting from different places,
beating drums, firing and bursting firecrackers etc.
to scare away them resulting in conflict between the
two.
5.3. Impact of Man-elephant Conflict
in the Study Area
The total number of incidences that took place during
conflict between man and elephant in the study region
since 2015 is highlighted in the Table 1.
From the Figure 3 and Figure 4 it is cleared that, the
intensity of man-elephant conflict is increasing day by day,
resulting in 60 houses and 50 bighas of crop field were
damaged during last five years. Though no elephant
deaths occurred in the conflict during the period of
2015-19, but a total of 4 villagers were injured out of
which 1 lost his lives.
Table 1. STATISTICS OF LOSSES DURING MAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT IN THE STUDY AREA (2015-19)
YEAR HOUSE DAMAGE (IN NUMBER) CROP DAMAGE (IN BIGHA) HUMAN INJURY HUMAN DEATH
2015-16 6 10 - -
2016-17 9 12 1 1
2017-18 15 10 - -
2018-19 18 8 3 -
2019 TO JULY 2020 12 10 - -
Source: Office of the Forest Department Northern Range, Salona.

90 Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Figure 3. Damage of Houses by Elephants during 2015-2019
Figure 4. Damage of Crops by Elephants during 2015-2019
Figure 5. Damage of Paddy field and Property by Elephant in the study area
6
9
15
18
12
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
2019-2020
HOUSE DAMAGE (IN NUMBER
)
YEAR
NUMBER OF HOUSE DAMAGE (2015-19)
10
12
10
8
10
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
2019-2020
CROP DAMAGE (IN BIGHA)
YEAR
AMOUNT OF CROP DAMAGE (2015-19)
Crop Damage

Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences 91
5.4. Government Initiatives in order to
Minimize the Conflict in the Study Area
If the Office of the Forest Department Northern Range,
Salona will take the following measures in proper and
systematic way then it is possible to minimize the conflict
to some extent in the study area in near future.
• Electrocution in the boundary of Paddy field and
household.
• Formation of Anti-Depredation Squad Committee.
• Organizing various awareness programme.
• Distribution of crackers, torch lights, diesel and
kerosene oil etc. among the villagers to chase
According to sources, the officials of the Salona Forest
dept. have been trying to push back the herd through blank
fire but they have failed so far. According to sources, the
forest officials are relentlessly trying, but due to lack of
sufficient man-power and equipment they are unable to
provide security to the villagers from wild elephants.
However, as shown in the Table 2 the Office of the
Forest Department Northern Range, Salona has been
providing the following aids among the victims in the
study area.
Table 2. STAISTICS OF EX-GRATIA
CATEGORY
AMOUNT (IN Rs.)
Dwelling House
10,000
Pakka House
10,000 -70,000
Minor Injury 20,000 - 40,000
Major Injury
1,00,000
Death Case
4,00,000
Source: Office of the Forest Department Northern Range, Salona.
6. Conclusion
The man-elephant conflict is going to be a never-ending
process due to the rapidly loss of elephants’ habitat as well
as increasing anthropogenic developmental activities
across the elephants’ corridors. Though in such conditions
no formula is going to work properly but protection
measures need to be strengthened strictly. The Office of
the Forest Department Northern Range, Salona has
already taken some initiatives for minimizing the risk of
conflict in the study region but due to lack of proper
awareness programme and implementation, all of the
efforts go in vain. As a result of which the villagers have
been gradually losing their resources one by one by
spending sleepless nights during harvesting period.
Acknowledgments
Author wants to thank Bharati Biswas, a resident of
Boraligaon, for assistance with data gathering and
household survey that greatly improved the manuscript.
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