Skip to content Skip to navigation

KWS bid to mitigate man-elephant conflict

By AT News |

In a bid to minimise the man-elephant conflict in the greater Numaligarh area the Kaziranga Wildlife Society conducted interaction programmes between the villagers of affected villages and wildlife experts at Kacharigaon, Porajungle and No.1 and No. 2 Napathar.Padum Borthakur, president of Kaziranga Wildlife Society;Kali Prasad Buragohain, Editor, Rhino; Rudra Goswami, former CCF, Assam; Mubina Akhtar, secretary, Kaziranga Wildlife Society; Pranab Saikia and Samarjit Sarma, wildlife activist and journalists of Golaghat district; Dr. Satya Dutta Choudhury accompanied the visiting team.Sharing his experience in dealing with wild elephants in Udalguri district, journalist Jayanta Kumar Das said that Udalguri is the worst affected area due to elephant depredations and about 24 pwersons lost their lives in jumbo attacks in 2014.He said taht at one point of time the situation had gone quite out of control as forest officials and the district administration could not minimise the man-elephant conflict.Villagers were getting aggressive and personnel from the Dhansiri Forest Division were apprehensive of the public ire. Das told this correspondent that along with wildlife activist Mubina Akhtar, he formed a coordination committee comprising people from different walks of life,including local villagers,to find out a lasting solution to the issue.

The coordination committee was later contacted by the university of North Carolina which,in turn persuaded the US Fish and Wildlife Service to initiate measures to provide requisites funds to the areas affected by the wild elephants so that the lives and the properties of the villagers of Udalguri district could be secured from marauding herds of elephants.

Das said that they also started a programme called Elephants on the Line under which they carried out the other woks to minimise the jumboo crisis.In 2014-15 a high level delegation fron Bhutan,Assam and Arunachal Pradesh participated in the programme where issues relating to elephant migration and depredation and the steps to control crisis were discussed extensively.

Measures like making a mixure of chilly powder,tobacco and cow dung and tying it to poles along elephants routes were accepted.The smell of the burning mixture repels elephants and the formula has worked in Udalguri as this year the casualty inflicted by wild elephants came down to six persons,said Das,adding that similar strategies can also be adopted in the greater Numaligarh area near Kaziranga.

Mubina Akhtar,secretary of Kazirang Wildlife Society said that villagers in the jumboo affected areas of greater Numaligarh do not know how to approach the appropriate authorities for redress of grievances and grant of compensation.So the need of the hour is to conduct workshops on capacity building for the affected villagers.

Former Chief Conservator of Forest,Rudra Goswami said public participation is very essential in obtaining results,adding that the stake holders should be given responsibilities so that they take active part in the conservation process and persuade other villagers to avoid conflicts with wild elephants.

During the interaction programme at No.1 Napathar,a local farmer,Diganta Saikia,said that man and elephants must co exist since wild wildlife is crucual to the survival of all creatures.It needs mention that Pranab Saikia, Samarjit Sarma and Dr.Satya Dutta Choudhury have been working for the mitigation of man-elephant conflict in Golaghat district bordering Karbi Anglong district and Nagaland for last couple of years.

Author info

AT News's picture

Assam Times Staff. editor@assamtimes.org
  • 10259 reads

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

TISS Guwahati holds 12th Convocation, 116 students graduate

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati Off-Campus on Saturday held its 12th Convocation for students who graduated in 2025 at the Zubeen Garg Auditorium of Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKHSOU) in Guwahati. The convocation was attended by Gauhati High Court Judge Justice Soumitra Saikia as the chief guest, along with TISS Chancellor and former UGC Chairperson Prof. D.P. Singh, TISS Vice Chancellor Prof. Badri Narayan Tiwari, Officiating Registrar Dr. Narendra Mishra and Dean Academic Affairs Prof. Sunil D. Santha. Several dignitaries, including officials from KKHSOU, OKDISC and ICSSR-NERC, and Assam government adviser Dr. Keshav Kumar, IPS (Retd.), were...

PEC voices concern over press censorship in Myanmar

Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the Geneva-based global media safety and rights body, has expressed concern over the continued press censorship in Myanmar, as the military junta authorities have recently revoked the licenses of three more independent news outlets. The junta’s information ministry had lately restricted the publication of Myaelatt Athan, Red News Agency, and Asia Citizens News Agency, citing different sections of the law. Mentionable is that the South Asian nation of 55 million people witnessed a coup on 1 February 2021, when a democratically elected government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was ousted by the then military chief Min Aung Hlaing. Since then, the junta has revoked...

Autistic aviation enthusiast sparks viral bid to rebuild Spirit Airlines

 A grassroots effort to resurrect Spirit Airlines has gone viral after being launched by Hunter Peterson, an aviation enthusiast who has spoken publicly about being autistic and his lifelong interest in airplanes. The campaign, organized through LetsBuySpiritAir.com, calls for a “community-owned airline” model in which passengers, employees and supporters would collectively fund and govern a rebooted version of the bankrupt budget carrier. The proposal spread quickly across TikTok, Reddit and X, drawing millions of views under the hashtag #Spirit2.0. Peterson, 24, a content creator, gained attention after posting a video last week in which he said, “I’m kind of autistic, and I...

Scientists Warn of GLOF Threat From Arunachal’s Khangri Glacier

Scientists conducting the 5th Khangri Glacier Expedition in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district have reported alarming geomorphological changes in the Khangri Glacier, including the formation of a potentially dangerous proglacial lake that could trigger a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in the Mago Chu Basin. The expedition was jointly conducted by the Centre for Earth Sciences and Himalayan Studies in collaboration with the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research and North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology. The scientific mission began on May 4 in the transboundary Mago Chu Basin, a critical headwater region of the larger Brahmaputra river system. According...

Assam: Rain cuts in Ulfa dyke trigger pre-monsoon flood fears in Lakhimpur

Heavy pre-monsoon rainfall has caused multiple breaches, locally known as “rain cuts”, in the Ulfa dyke at Panigaon in Assam’s Lakhimpur district, raising fresh concerns of flooding in the region. The 3.7-km-long agri-bund embankment—stretching from Jorkhat-Boniyagaon to Pub-Aamtola Nepaligaon under Pachim Telahi Gaon Panchayat—is popularly known as the Ulfa dyke. It was originally constructed in 1989 by members of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) with community participation. According to reports, continuous rainfall over recent weeks has led to the formation of more than 20 rain cuts along the embankment, significantly weakening its structure ahead of the...

Jorhat Hosts Key Meet on Flood Preparedness, Community Feedback Systems

A district-level convening of humanitarian organisations and civil society groups was held in Jorhat at the premises of the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), Dhekiakhowa, focusing on Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM) and flood preparedness. Organised by NEADS in collaboration with the State Inter Agency Group and Roots to Branches Foundation, with support from UNICEF Assam, the meeting brought together civil society representatives, district authorities, and local humanitarian actors to strengthen coordination ahead of the flood season. The session opened with a welcome address by Tirtha Prasad Saikia, who underscored the importance of community-centred approaches...

Four Lives Lost in Guwahati’s Man-Made Floods

In a grim reminder of the city’s crumbling urban infrastructure, four lives were lost within 48 hours after heavy rains triggered widespread artificial flooding across Guwahati. What should have been a seasonal downpour instead exposed a deadly mix of neglected drains, poor planning, and administrative failure. The first victim, Payel Nath Das (around 30), a Dharapur resident working at a jewellery shop on GS Road, met a tragic end on the night of April 19. At around 9:30 pm, while wading through knee-deep water at Maligaon Chariali, she slipped into an uncovered roadside drain concealed beneath floodwaters. Her body was recovered 150–250 metres away the next morning by SDRF personnel...

Voting Underway Across Assam; Steady Turnout, Peaceful Polling

Voting for the Assam Assembly elections gathered steady momentum through the morning hours on April 9, with scenes from across the state reflecting a strong and participatory democratic exercise. By mid-morning, polling booths were already witnessing long queues, as men and women, young voters and the elderly alike, stepped out early to cast their votes. The initial hours after 9 AM saw a smooth and peaceful polling process, backed by visible security presence and efficient booth management. In Guwahati, the day unfolded with a calm yet purposeful energy. Polling stations across the city saw a steady stream of voters, many arriving with family members, some even accompanied by children,...

From Dance Floors to Screen: The Journey of Susovan Sonu Roy

Susovan Sonu Roy has steadily carved a place for himself across multiple creative fields—Bengali television, modelling, and films—building his career through persistence, training, and adaptability. Born in Howrah, Susovan spent his formative years between Kolkata and Guwahati. His early life was marked by hardship after losing his father in an accident at a young age. Raised by his mother under challenging circumstances, he went on to complete his graduation in Commerce from Dum Dum Motijheel Rabindra Mahavidyalaya in 2016. His entry into the performing arts began with dance. Driven by interest, he joined a dance institute where he trained in Western dance for nearly two years....

Row Erupts Over Alleged Foreign Wealth Links of Assam CM’s Family

A major political controversy has erupted around Himanta Biswa Sarma after the Congress party levelled serious allegations regarding the alleged accumulation of vast wealth abroad by his family, particularly involving his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma. According to a report by The Wire, Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed that assets worth nearly ₹52,000 crore have been stashed overseas, particularly in the United States, through a company allegedly linked to the Chief Minister’s family. At a press conference in New Delhi, Khera alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma holds multiple foreign passports and questioned the source of such large-scale wealth. He further demanded a probe and even called...