Human-Elephant conflict: Solar-powered LED lights installed to facilitate coexistence

Guwahati: Premier biodiversity conservation organization Aaranyak as part of its unrelenting endeavour to facilitate coexistence in human-elephant conflict (HEC) hotspots in the region has started installing LED lights in those areas to mitigate the raging conflict. As per the initiative, solar-operated standalone blinking LED light is used to deter the wild elephants from crop raiding and entering human settlements. This device is customized with two LEDs powered by an inbuilt lithium-ion battery which is charged by a top mounted solar panel.

The LEDs blink at a regular intervals like flashing lights creating the illusion of human presence and deter the elephants without any physical harm towards the elephants. Thus, it reduces negative human-elephant interactions and facilitates human-elephant coexistence.

Aaranyak aims to install 40 LED lights as an elephant deterrent in different areas of Udalguri, Baksa and Tamulpur districts in the first part of the initiative supported by SBI Foundation.  Already 10 such solar-powered LED lights were installed in No.1 Garuajhar and Uttar Garuajhar village which are located on the bank of the Nonai river under Bhergaon block of Udalguri district on  April 1 and  April 2.

Standalone lights were installed at ten different locations on the bank of Nonai river in both the villages. The LED lights were installed around 200 metres apart using an eight-feet high bamboo poles and an iron mount to protect the paddy fields and dwellings. Around 500 families will be benefitted from the effectiveness of the LED lights from wild elephants.

The river Nonai is a path along which elephants move to and fro up-stream and down-stream.  There are some tracks that are used to divert them to enter villages and damage crops near the riverside and inside the village as well.  So, those particular points were identified in a joint survey of Aaranyak staff and local community for installation of LED lights.

Seeing the blinking solar-powered LEDs from a certain distance at night, the elephants feel it like human presence and move away from that place avoiding the sharp flashing by the LEDs instead of entering the village. The local community was involved during the installation and they also took responsibility for the safety of the LED lights.

Previously, Aaranyak had installed five LED elephant deterrent lights in Hastinapur village under Chawlkara block in Baksa district in the month of October’2023 out of the proposed forty LED lights. As per planning, rest of the LED lights will be installed in No 1, 2 and 3 Bholater under Bhergaon.

As on date, Aaranyak has plan to install LEDs  in No. 1 and No. 2 Bholatar in Udalguri district located nearby the Samrang river, Hedayetpur and some part of Hastinapur located near Diring river in Baksa district and No.2 Dongargaon in Tamulpur district, stated a press release.

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