Elephant herd causes panic in Haldibari tea garden; Workers risk lives to chase them away

A herd of 15 elephants, including several calves, entered the Haldibari tea garden in Banarhat at approximately 7 a.m. on Tuesday. The elephants emerged from the nearby Moraghat jungle and moved into the 25th section of the tea garden, where workers were arriving for their morning shift. The unexpected appearance of the herd caused alarm among the workers, leading to widespread panic.

Due to a delay in the arrival of forest department personnel, the workers attempted to drive the elephants back into the jungle by setting off firecrackers. The workers’ efforts, though immediate, put them at risk, as previous similar attempts to chase away elephants have led to injuries and even fatalities. Such incidents have been reported in the Duars region, where workers have been attacked by elephants in response to attempts at driving them away.

Elephants frequently enter human settlements from surrounding forests, and these encounters are a growing concern for local residents. In addition to the immediate risk to human safety, elephants have been known to cause significant property damage, including the destruction of homes and crops in tea gardens. The frequent movement of elephants into populated areas has led to calls from local communities for the forest department to take more proactive steps to address the issue and reduce the risk of human-elephant conflicts.