Guwahati, Oct 30: As part of a pilot project for mitigation of human-elephant conflicts (HEC) and to facilitate coexistence around schools, Aaranyak, a frontline biodiversity conservation organisation, has installed solar-powered fences around two LP (lower primary) schools and an Anganwadi centre located in HEC-affected areas of Udalguri and Goalpara districts of Assam.
Accordingly, a solar fence was installed around 331 number 2 Nonke Sonajuli L.P. School, at Sonajuli under Khairabari Educational Block in Udalguri district with support from SBI Foundation. The school has 30 Assamese-medium students and 25 Bodo-medium students. An Anganwadi centre with 30 children attached to this school has also been protected by the fence.
In another such initiative, Aaranyak with support from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, has installed a solar-powered fence for HEC mitigation around Kasibari Kochpara L.P. School near Kumarkhali Reserve Forest under Lakhipur Forest Range in Goalpara district. The school has over 60 students.
Notably, human-elephants conflicts in various parts of Assam has, besides causing hardship to life and livelihood for a sizeable section of population, disrupted functioning of such schools in some of the hotspots where wild elephants enter school premises.
Nonke Sonai L.P. School established in 1962, is situated close to the India-Bhutan border. Wild elephants have posed a threat to the school building on a number of occasions during the past five years. Last year, a herd of elephants damaged the building and devoured food stored in the kitchen room for mid-day meals.
A team from Aaranyak led by Anjan Baruah, comprising Dibakar Nayak, Rupam Gayary and Bikash Tossa, took initiative to install a solar powered fence in that school on October 19 this year.
Kasibari Kochpara L.P. School is in Goalpara district and was established in 1981. According to head teacher Munurani Sarker and school management committee president Namita Koch, wild elephants take rest at day time in the area besides roaming in and out of the forest reserve frequently.
Wild elephants have damaged the school premises since 2018. In fact, the school building was damaged as many as 11 times during 2018 to 2023 with elephants barging into it to devour the rice, lentils, salt, vegetables and other food items stored in the kitchen for mid-day meals. Besides the kitchen, some walls of classrooms too have been damaged by elephants.
Owing to the increasing HEC conflict, attendance of school students has reduced by almost 50 percent. The total number of students dropped to 26 from over 60 students with parents not keen to allow their children to attend the school out of fear.
However, the Aaranyak team installed a single strand solar fence around the school premises on September 5 this year with support of the local community.