Siraha, December 29

Locals of the northern belt of Siraha are compelled to live in constant fear of wild tuskers.

The tuskers enter human settlements frequently and destroy their houses and crops.

“A total of 12 Dalit families at Musaharniya of Golbazaar Municipality -3 have left their houses for last two days mainly due to  the fear of wild tuskers,” said ward Chairperson Dhan Prasad Lama. He said that the tuskers demolished the houses of local Ashok Sada, Rampari Sada, Badri Sada and Ram Lochan Sada last Wednesday, unleashing terror among the locals.

Same night, the wild tuskers destroyed three houses of Bal Ram Thapa at Gola Muksar of Golbazaar Municipality. “As the tuskers started terrorising people, they keep vigil whole night burning fire together,” said Lattu Pube, a teacher. Three other houses were also destroyed same night at Dhodnagaun of Lahan Municipality -15 last Wednesday. The houses belonging to Shiva Shankar Saday, Debin Saday and Siyaram Saday were demolished by the tuskers that night. The victim families are spending night in the open bearing the bone biting cold.

Though security personnel and staffers at District Forest Office have started patrolling, but the tuskers’ movement into the settlements has not stopped. Meanwhile, the local administration said that they were trying their best to chase away the tuskers from human settlements.