Guwahati: A 9.3 km-long solar-powered fence was ceremonially handed over to the Solar Fence Management Committee in the human-elephant conflict (HEC)–affected Ujani Majuli area in Assam to protect cropland and mitigate HEC as part of the Wildlife Week celebration.
The event was jointly organized by NGO Aaranyak and Majuli Forest Division in collaboration with Science for Social Welfare, Poribesh Bondhu, DONY Green Foundation and WWF-India on October 5 at Gazera Rangamancha in Ujani Majuli.
This outreach initiative was a collaborative effort by Aaranyak, the British Asian Trust, and the Darwin Initiative, aimed at fostering coexistence between humans and elephants.
Addressing the event, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Joyram Baruah urged the younger generation to play an active role in wildlife conservation.
Aaranyak’s Rimpee Moran interacted with the local villagers with the aid of an audio-visual presentation on human-wildlife coexistence.
Rubul Tanti, a representative from Aaranyak, demonstrated the use of the “Haati App”. The app allows one to report human-elephant conflict incidents and claim compensation for damages to lives and property.
The solar fence was handed over to the Solar Fence Management Committee in the presence of the forest officials, members from the Zilla Parishad Committee and the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) after signing a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU).
The event concluded with the distribution of a handbook on solar fences and tree plantation. A total of 67 people, including 8 forest officials, attended the event.
During the outreach programme, guest Renumala Dutta, a renowned social worker, shared her thoughts on the importance of the restoration of habitat. Jayanta Madhab Kalita from Science for Social Welfare emphasized the significance of biodiversity conservation for human well-being during the program.
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Aaranyak’s team comprising Zakir Islam Bora, Rubul Tanti, Rimpee Moran, Pranjit Borah, Junak Baruah, Diganta Saikia, Jiaur Rahman, and village champions Lambudar Gayan, Utpal Pegu and Piju Doley facilitated the event.
