Guwahati, August 7 : Village Defence Party (VDP) members from 38 villages from human-elephant conflict (HEC) affected Baksa and Udalguri districts have attended training programmes on mitigation measures organised by Aaranyak in Baksa and Udalguri district of Assam.
The training programmes for VDP members under Barbari Police Station in Baksa district and Paneri Police Station in Udalguri district were organised on August 1 and 3 respectively.
These training sessions which had brought together 126 VDP members from 38 villages including a considerable number of women, enlightened them with essential knowledge and skills for managing and minimizing negative human-elephant interactions. The effort was supported by the SBI Foundation.
“VDP members can play a vital role in monitoring elephants in their vicinity, manage HEC alerts besides using non-lethal techniques to ward off elephants from human-use areas. They can also play a key role in educating locals on peaceful coexistence, collaborating with authorities for better conflict management, and promoting sustainable practices,” said Dr Bibhuti P Lahkar, senior conservation scientist of Aaranyak and head of Elephant Research and Conservation Division of the NGO.
Led by Aaranyak’s senior officials Hiten Baishya and Anjan Baruah the training sessions focused on measures to reduce negative human-elephant interactions, how to avail ex-gratia for damages/loss incurred because of HEC, and effective HEC mitigation measures to facilitate coexistence. The interactive sessions featured discussions and an evaluation game, creating a dynamic learning experience.
The events were graced by Khwmdwn Gura Goyary and Tarun Chandra Baishya, Circle Organisers (COs) of Village Defence Organisation (VDO) and the Officer in Charge of Paneri Police Station.
Participation by a large number of VDP members in the training sessions marked a significant step towards community-driven conservation efforts adopted by Aaranyak.
The event was facilitated by Aaranyak staff members Rabiya Daimari, Abhijit Saikia, Mondeep Basumatari, Dibakar Nayak, Jiban Chetry, Jaugashar Basumatary, Bikash Tossa, Pradip Barman, Rupam Gayari and Bijoy Kalita.