Guwahati, Aug 29: Nondescript Lahapara village is located at the inter-state boundary between Assam (Goalpara) and Meghalaya (West Garo Hills). The nearby villages of Khokapara, Belguri, and Naguapara are part of the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya. Some other neighbouring villages, such as Besorkona, Batapara, and Pukhuripara, belong to Assam.
The residents of these villages in both Assam and Meghalaya have been facing hardships because of raging Human elephant conflict (HEC) for a long time.
Premier biodiversity conservation organization Aaranyak in partnership with the Lakhipur Forest Range in Goalpara, Assam and the West Garo Hills Wildlife Range in Meghalaya organized an awareness-cum- community interaction programme on HEC mitigation and coexistence in Lahapara L.P. and M.E. School on August 25.
One of the key suggestions made by community representatives during the interaction was to form joint patrolling teams by Assam and Meghalaya Forest Departments to bolster elephants’ protection and HEC mitigation.
The programme was supported under the joint sponsorship of the Darwin Initiative, the British Asian Trust, and the Goalpara Forest Division, Assam.
Approximately 90 including 40 women from various bordering villages from Assam and Meghalaya attended the awareness programme that featured interactions with community members by Lakhipur Forest Range team, led by Range Officer Dharmendra Das and the West Garo Hills (Wildlife) Range team, led by Oshim B. Sangma.
Notable attendees from the community included Madhuram Rabha, the former Executive Member of the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council; Aswinin Basumatary, President of Pukhuripara GP; Sanjib Rabha, Village Head of Khokapara village and Nripen Rabha, Village Head of Batapara village.
Sanjib Rabha from Khokapara, Meghalaya, urged the Meghalaya Forest Department to work collaboratively with local villagers and the Forest Department of Assam to form a dedicated team focused on elephant conservation. Further, he proposed the establishment of a watchtower to monitor and protect these magnificent animals.
Representatives of communities across the inter-state boundary emphasized on measures from the forest departments of both Assam and Meghalaya, such as installing solar street lights, watchtowers, and solar fencing.
The residents of both states also suggested the formation of a joint patrolling team comprising members from the Assam and Meghalaya Forest Departments to enhance elephant protection efforts.
Lakhipur Range Officer Dharmendra Das emphasized on importance of understanding elephant movement areas and suggested that the community avoid mono-crop practices.
Oshim Sangma, Forester-1 of the West Garo Hills Forest, discussed the ongoing implementation of HEC mitigation measures in villages along the Assam-Meghalaya border. He highlighted several upcoming activities aimed at further mitigation.
Anjan Baruah from Aaranyak spoke about elephant behaviour and the causes of HEC, as well as various mitigation techniques designed to protect both lives and property. He provided some helpful dos and don’ts to help reduce HEC.