Guwahati, June 6: Premier biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak with support from the SBI Foundation, conducted an awareness-cum-training programme at the campus of the 23rd Battalion, SSB in Lalpool, Udalguri district of Assam for promoting human-elephant coexistence and enhancing the preparedness of frontline force personnel working in human-elephant conflict (HEC) affected areas.
The session was attended by a total of 53 SSB personnel from the 37 Bn SSB Mangaldoi, 61 Bn SSB Bhairabkunda, 23rd Bn SSB Lalpool, and SHQ SSB Bezapara. The event was graced by Commandant S.K. Awadhiya of 23rd Bn SSB Lalpool, who also actively participated in the programme.
Hiten Baishya, Deputy Director of Elephant Research and Conservation Division (ERCD) of Aaranyak made a comprehensive presentation highlighting the distribution, population dynamics, and herd composition of elephants, followed by practical insights into conflict mitigation strategies to enhance safety during patrol duty.
An interactive session, facilitated by Aaranyak official Rabiya Daimari, further addressed critical topics such as on-duty safety, camp safety, responding to elephant calf rescues, and standard techniques for handling and feeding in such situations.
The platform enabled SSB personnel to actively share their field experiences, particularly their encounters with elephants during operational duties, fostering peer learning and situational preparedness.
Arindam Saikia and Abhilasha Baruah from Aaranyak were also present and contributed significantly to the facilitation of the programme.