Guwahati, March 19: Premier biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak, with the support of the SBI Foundation, organised a series of community outreach programmes during February and March this across villages in Baksa, Tamulpur and Udalguri districts of Assam to raise the awareness level on Human–Elephant Conflict (HEC) and promote coexistence through practical, community-led mitigation approaches.
The outreach programmes were conducted at Paharpur (27 February), Kalahandi Gaon, Orangajuli (11 March), Jharbari (12 March), and Diapara (16 March )in Baksa district, where villagers actively participated in open and interactive discussions. Community members shared their lived experiences related to elephant movement, crop damage, and safety concerns, while Aaranyak’s team facilitated conversations on simple, locally relevant strategies to reduce conflict and enhance safety.
Special emphasis was given on understanding elephant behaviour through interactive activities such as Gajah Katha, along with discussions on early warning practices, solar fencing maintenance, and precautionary measures that communities can adopt during elephant movement. The sessions highlighted the importance of collective preparedness, timely information sharing, and coordinated community action in minimising conflict situations.
In total, 96 community members participated in these outreach programmes, which were facilitated by Aaranyak team members Abhilasha Boruah, Pranjal Deka, Jiban Chetry, Bikash Tossa, and Jaugashar Basumatary.
