GUWAHATI: Over 200 villagers from Haatisal and Sagunpara villages of Jorhat district have been provided training in the installation, operation, and management of solar-powered fences so as to enable them to mitigate human-elephant conflict (HEC) and coexist with wild elephants that frequent their villages. These trainings were organized on September 24 and September 25 by the region’s premier biodiversity conservation organization Aaranyak, in partnership with the British Asian Trust and with support from the Darwin Initiative. The training programmes are prelude to the proposed installation of a single-strand low-cost solar-powered fence in these villages during October 2024 to facilitate coexistence among villagers and wild elephants through mitigation of HEC.
Aaranyak’s expert in solar fence management and operation, Anjan Baruah, provided the training to the villagers in the presence of village heads of Haatisal and Bezorsiga, Dulal Saikia, and Deepamoni Hazarika, respectively. The programmes were anchored by Aaranyak official Niranjan Bhuyan and actively supported by other Aaranyak officials. Village champions of Aaranyak, Makhan Kalita, Sabita Mala, and Sunil Taid actively supported organization of the two training programmes. Aaranyak has been facilitating the installation of solar-powered fences in various HEC-affected areas of Assam and the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya to help affected villagers coexist with wild elephants, stated a press release.
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