Guwahati, July 5: The Meghalaya Forest Department organised an outreach programme for the personnel of the 193rd Border Security Force (BSF) Battalion at Ranikor, Gumaghat Border Outpost (BOP) on the Indo-Bangla border in South-West Khasi Hills (SWKH) district on Thursday last.
The main objectives of the outreach programme were to sensitise the BSF personnel on how to deal with herds of wild elephants they often encounter while discharging duty on the international border as well as raise awareness among BOP officials about various forms of wildlife crime, current trends in wildlife trafficking, and trade activities within their area of responsibility. A team from Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org) was involved in the orientation as resource persons.
Dr Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar and Abhijit Baruah of Elephant Research and Conservation Division (ERCD) of Aaranyak delivered talks to create awareness among the BSF personnel about behaviour and basic knowledge about the characteristics of Asian elephants to help them avoid confrontation with elephants they come across during the course of duty. Wild elephants often move across the international border in the area posing hazards to the BSF personnel.
Dr. Jimmy Borah, Senior Official from Aaranyak’s Legal and Advocacy Division, led an informative discussion on wildlife crime and illegal trade along border areas. His presentation highlighted key crime trends, challenges faced in enforcement, impacts of illegal trade, and practical preventive measures that BSF personnel could adopt within their operational areas.
Sankupar Kharsyntiew, Forest Range Officer (FRO), Nongstoin Wildlife Range, also interacted with BSF personnel and said that the department was going to develop joint future strategies, including joint patrolling to deal with wild elephants.
Around 33 BSF personnel attended the session, and participated in the sensitisation programme in the presence of Shravan Kumar, Inspector of the 193rd BSF battalion. Joseph Sawkmie, Beat Officer, Mawkyrwat Wildlife Beat, oversaw the programme’s overall arrangements.
This collaborative initiative reflects the growing need for frontline forces to be equipped not only to discharge duty for national security but also to respond effectively to emerging conservation challenges along international borders.