Bahundangi, July 9:

Farmers of Bahundangi village in Jhapa district are facing it increasingly difficult to chase away the elephants ramapging their plantations and settlements from the Indian side of the border.

The local administration and the locals themselves have applied different methods to prevent the elephants from entering the plantations but in vain.

Villagers have tried techniques like making tunnels, bee-keeping, and fencing to bar elephants but in vain.

The villagers have even formed an Elephant Havoc Control Committee (EHCC) to patrol the villages at night. Armed with sticks and small explosives, villagers go around the villages. This is more intense during the rainy season when more elephants enter the green fields.”Chasing elephants with minor explosives is not very effective method,” coordinator of the EHCC, Mani Kumar Uprety, said.

“The government must seriously look into the matter,” coordinator Upreti said.

“We have to stop our daily works and remain awake at night to protect our crops,” a local, Bishnu Parajuli, said.