Advisor for Treasuries & Accounts, Relief and Rehabilitation, Dr. TM Lotha made a spot visit to New Wokha Village Thursday to get a firsthand information on the damage caused by wild elephants and later had a meeting with the Village council and affected farmers of the village.
In the meeting the village chairman Khyolamo Humtsoe apprised the visiting legislator on the damage caused by the wild elephants numbering around 60 for the last two years.
Humtsoe said that this year alone, the herd has visited three times damaging 29 agriculture and horticultural fields, which has affected the livelihood of the farmers. He further seeks for appropriate assistance and requested the government to device a long-term policy to tackle the menace.
Dr. TM Lotha, while addressing the gathering expressed sympathy to the villagers for the damaged caused by the elephants and assured all possible help from the government.
He also advised the village chairman to submit an accurate list of people whose property or agricultural fields have been damaged with proper photographic evidence to the government for further action.
In the meantime, lamenting on the loss of forest coverage at Mt. Tiyi, he emphasized on the need to restore the Mt. Tiyi forest to avoid any ecological imbalance in the region including water scarcity.
He also appreciated the villagers for making a smooth transition from traditional paddy cultivation to modern farming of cash crops and other horticultural products, as the returns is much better in terms of cash crops, vegetables and horticultural farming.
Dr. TM Lotha also advised the farmers to avail benefits from the peoples’ friendly schemes launched by the BJP government at the center including the interest free loans to the farmers, accidental benefit scheme, welfare schemes for pensioners and girls’ students etc. For that, he advised the party workers to explain the policies to people at the grassroots level.
Others who spoke at the meeting include A Robin Lotha, DC Wokha, Mhao Humtsoe, chairman, Lotha Hoho and DFO Wokha. The meeting was also attended by members of Tiyi Wildlife Conservation and Animal Human Conflict Control Society, New Wokha Village and officials of the Green Foundation Wokha.