Wild elephants often enter the locality in search of food. This damages a lot of crop land. People are injured and killed in attacks by wild elephants. Wild elephants are leaving the forest and entering the locality for fear of deforestation. In the last 2021-22 financial year, two people were killed and many others injured in wild elephant attacks in Bairag, Barkhain, Hajigaon, Kulapara and Battali areas of Anwara upazila in Chattogram.
The Department of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, Chattogram has distributed cheque total Tk 22 lakh 10 thousand among 61 people affected by wildlife. The injured were given Tk 1 lakh, deaths Tk 3 lakh and the victims Tk 10-25.
Anwara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sheikh Jobayer Ahmed distributed government grant cheque in Chattogram recently. Anwara Upazila Nirbahi Officer said that at present wild elephants are entering the locality due to deforestation for human settlement and cultivation.
If proper management and conservation of forests is not ensured then it will cause huge environmental catastrophe in future.
Wildlife and Management and Nature Conservation Department officer Dipannita Bhattacharya, Jaldi Wildlife Sanctuary Range Officer Anisuzzaman Sheikh and Forest Department officials were present to distribute cheque among the victims of wild elephants in Anwara Upazila.