In a devastating incident on the night of August 10, a herd of 14 elephants re-entered Longla village, damaging seven paddy fields. The destruction included field huts, crops, vegetables, and particularly sugarcane, which serve as the villagers’ sole source of livelihood.

The escalating crisis prompted Nribemo Ngullie, the Longla Village Council Chairman, to personally inspect the site. Following his visit, Ngullie made an urgent appeal to the Nagaland Government for immediate intervention, highlighting the increasingly dire situation faced by the villagers.

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Forester Zaremo Kithan, who also visited the scene, provided bomb crackers to aid the villagers in their efforts to deter the elephants. Despite the aid, alongside other techniques such as burning tyres, the elephants have continued to invade the village, causing even greater destruction than in previous years.

Ngullie expressed his deep frustration, lamenting that despite repeated reports to the government over the years, no substantial action has been taken to address the crisis. He emphasised the growing despair among the villagers as the elephant incursions show no sign of abating, leaving their livelihoods in jeopardy.