<p>The army has sought translocation of wild animals from Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary near Guwahati in view of frequent face-offs with the jumbos in and around Narengi Military station, its logistic hub in the Northeast.</p>.<p>In a letter to Assam government, Major General Jarken Gamlin, General Officer Commanding, 51 Sub Area Headquarters at Narengi in Guwahati also asked the state government to pay compensation for the damages caused by the elephants if translocation was not feasible.</p>.<p>A copy of the letter submitted on July 3 to the then chief secretary Kumar Sanjoy Krishna was accessed recently by environment activist, Rohit Choudhury through an RTI application. Krishna retired on Ocotber 31.</p>.<p>"With ever-increasing threat to life and property, the only workable option available, to my mind, is to relocate these elephants (especially three elephants which have caused maximum damages). In case relocation of elephants is not a feasible proposition, the state may consider paying compensation for the losses being incurred since regularisation of such losses, so frequently, are subject to scrutiny by the audit authorities,” said the letter.</p>.<p>Stating that the Narengi Military Station is the Army’s logistic hub for the Northeast region, Gamlin said, ”These infrastructure assets are frequented by elephants and they are causing substantial damage not only to infrastructure but also to critical logistic stores. The frequency of these attacks have increased in the last six months resulting in losses to the tune of Rs 15 lakh approx, and still counting.”</p>.<p>Gamlin also submitted a few photographs as evidence of the damages caused by the wild jumbos that frequent the military station, situated in the vicinity of the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary. According to the forest department, there are nearly 40 wild elephants in the sanctuary.</p>.<p>The army officer said that in 2002 a project was undertaken to install an iron barricade to prevent damage by the jumbos but it had to be dismantled last year due to the safety concerns raised by the state forest department. "Since the dismantling of the iron barricade, cases of elephant depredation have increased. In addition, there have also been instances wherein unsuspecting soldiers and their families have been attacked by the elephants. It is sheer providence that these individuals have escaped with minor injuries and there has been no loss of life as yet," the letter said.</p>.<p>The Major General said the army used various "deterrent measures" such as digging of anti-elephant ditches, electronic elephant repellents and placing of recorded sound of bees but these have not been found very effective.</p>
<p>The army has sought translocation of wild animals from Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary near Guwahati in view of frequent face-offs with the jumbos in and around Narengi Military station, its logistic hub in the Northeast.</p>.<p>In a letter to Assam government, Major General Jarken Gamlin, General Officer Commanding, 51 Sub Area Headquarters at Narengi in Guwahati also asked the state government to pay compensation for the damages caused by the elephants if translocation was not feasible.</p>.<p>A copy of the letter submitted on July 3 to the then chief secretary Kumar Sanjoy Krishna was accessed recently by environment activist, Rohit Choudhury through an RTI application. Krishna retired on Ocotber 31.</p>.<p>"With ever-increasing threat to life and property, the only workable option available, to my mind, is to relocate these elephants (especially three elephants which have caused maximum damages). In case relocation of elephants is not a feasible proposition, the state may consider paying compensation for the losses being incurred since regularisation of such losses, so frequently, are subject to scrutiny by the audit authorities,” said the letter.</p>.<p>Stating that the Narengi Military Station is the Army’s logistic hub for the Northeast region, Gamlin said, ”These infrastructure assets are frequented by elephants and they are causing substantial damage not only to infrastructure but also to critical logistic stores. The frequency of these attacks have increased in the last six months resulting in losses to the tune of Rs 15 lakh approx, and still counting.”</p>.<p>Gamlin also submitted a few photographs as evidence of the damages caused by the wild jumbos that frequent the military station, situated in the vicinity of the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary. According to the forest department, there are nearly 40 wild elephants in the sanctuary.</p>.<p>The army officer said that in 2002 a project was undertaken to install an iron barricade to prevent damage by the jumbos but it had to be dismantled last year due to the safety concerns raised by the state forest department. "Since the dismantling of the iron barricade, cases of elephant depredation have increased. In addition, there have also been instances wherein unsuspecting soldiers and their families have been attacked by the elephants. It is sheer providence that these individuals have escaped with minor injuries and there has been no loss of life as yet," the letter said.</p>.<p>The Major General said the army used various "deterrent measures" such as digging of anti-elephant ditches, electronic elephant repellents and placing of recorded sound of bees but these have not been found very effective.</p>
