Guwahati: As part of its sustained community-centric efforts to mitigate human-elephant conflict (HEC) and facilitate coexistence, Aaranyak, a premier biodiversity conservation organization, recently installed 25 solar street lights (SSL) in certain HEC hotspots in Assam’s Goalpara district and Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district.
These solar streetlights will enable villagers in human-elephant conflict areas of Goalpara and West Garo Hills to spot elephants at night from a safe distance, allowing them to avoid encounters or retreat to safety.
Over the past few years, Aaranyak has installed solar street lights in cooperation with human-elephant conflict-affected communities in Goalpara and West Garo Hills to mitigate the conflict.
The human-elephant conflict landscape lies along the Assam-Meghalaya state border.
As many as twenty-five solar street lights were installed on March 19 -20 this year at various HEC-affected villages with active community cooperation.
Out of these, 20 solar street lights were installed in 13 villages in Goalpara district. The beneficiary villages in the district include Jalapara (2 SSL), Belpara (1 SSL), Pachim Matia (2 SSL) under Ranjuli Forest Range; Dahikata (2 SSL), Dakurbhita (1 SSL), Rangagarha (2 SSL), Mamakata (2 SSL), Amtola (2 SSL), Nichinta (1 SSL) under Goalpara Sadar Forest Range; Sapleng (1 SSL) under Krishnai Forest Range; Thahurbilla (1 SSL), Borjhora (1 SSL), Dhamor (2 SSL) under Lakhipur Forest Range.
Five more solar street lights were installed with support from Darwin Initiative in three villages – two SSL at Khokapara (Lahapara), two SSL at Chisikgre (Belguri) and one SSL at Photamati under Holaidonga Forest Range of West Garo Hills district.
Notably, Aaranyak, in partnership with British Asian Trust and the Goalpara Forest Division, has been working with local communities and other stakeholders to mitigate HEC and promote coexistence in the Garo Hills-Goalpara landscape in the region.
