Assam: Tezpur villagers block NH-15 over elephant incursions

Frustrated villagers blocked National Highway 15 late Thursday night, protesting the Forest Department's alleged inaction against persistent elephant incursions in Assam's Bihguri region.

The two-hour blockade near Tezpur came after a month of widespread crop destruction by wild elephants across Bihguri, Jarnai, and Tinkharia areas. Local residents accused forest officials of failing to address the growing human-wildlife conflict.

Traffic came to a complete standstill from 10 pm as hundreds of residents occupied the highway. The blockade was lifted around 11:30 pm following intervention by district administration and forest officials, though residents remained dissatisfied with the response.

Forest Department officials declined to comment on specific measures planned to address the elephant incidents. The human-elephant conflict has been a recurring issue in several districts of Assam, with crop damage and property destruction frequently reported.