Residents guard roads against elephant threats in Moraghat, demand streetlights
Jalpaiguri: Haldibari Tea Garden resident Geeta Mahali, like many others, returns home daily via bicycle, passing through Moraghat More around 7 pm. However, frequent elephant movements and the absence of streetlights makes commuting dangerous. To address this, local residents, including Moktar Ansari and Mh. Maksad Ansari, safeguard travellers by carrying torches to illuminate the road and guide people safely across.
Residents near Moraghat More have formed night patrols to monitor elephant presence before allowing movement. From late afternoon until 10 pm, groups of locals stand guard along the road leading to Haldibari Tea Garden, ensuring safe passage for tea garden workers and labourers travelling to and from Binnaguri Army Cantonment. The initiative is crucial due to the lack of street lighting along the state highway from Haldibari Tea Garden More to Moraghat Tea Garden More and Kartik Oraon Hindi College.
This road is an old elephant corridor, with herds frequently moving between Moraghat Tea Garden and Binnaguri, especially from morning to evening. Last year, an individual lost their life in an elephant attack at Moraghat Chowpatty. Many residents, primarily tea garden workers and daily wage laborers, commute via bicycle, making them vulnerable to elephant encounters. Despite efforts to install street lights along Binnaguri Road under the Binnaguri Panchayat, theft has left many areas in darkness. Concerned residents demand proper lighting to prevent accidents and improve safety. Geeta Mahali and Rupen Kisku, both local workers, stated: “Every evening, we cycle back to Moraghat and Haldibari tea gardens in darkness. Thanks to the locals who light torches, we can navigate the road.” Mh. Maksad Ansari added: “For everyone’s safety, we take turns guarding Moraghat More with torches. However, street lights would greatly ease our burden.”
Dhupguri Sub-Divisional Officer Pushpa Lepcha stated: “I will take the matter seriously and inform the concerned department.” Jalpaiguri Forest Division DFO Bikash V confirmed coordination with Binnaguri Panchayat for street light installation and assured increased forest patrols to monitor elephant movements.
