JAGIROAD (Morigaon), Sept 12: A herd of wild elephants entered the under-construction Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test facility in Jagiroad early on Saturday, triggering panic among employees and prompting an immediate response from the Forest Department.
The animals, which had descended from the nearby Sonaikuchi hills in search of food, were seen moving through different sections of the project complex. Several workers evacuated the premises, though a number remained inside at the time of the incident. Forest personnel, assisted by local police, quickly reached the site and began efforts to guide the elephants back towards forested areas without harm.
Officials confirmed that no casualties or injuries occurred. The sudden presence of the herd created a tense atmosphere at the construction site of the high-profile ₹27,000-crore project, which is being developed by Tata Electronics on the former Nagaon Paper Mill campus.
Elephant movement in the area is not new. Locals and officials note that wild elephants frequently visited the landscape even when the paper mill was operational, including a 2022 incident in which an elephant entered a school within the mill premises. Conservationists have long stressed the need to identify and protect traditional movement routes between the Sonaikuchi hills and surrounding habitats as industrial activity intensifies.
The incident has once again highlighted the challenges of balancing large-scale development with Assam’s rich wildlife corridors.