Guwahati: The Legal and Advocacy Division (LAD) of Aaranyak organised a three-day exposure visit for members of the Community Surveillance and Monitoring Team (CSMT) from Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh, to Manas National Park and Raimona National Park in Assam from January 17 to 19 last. The visit aimed to promote cross-learning, strengthen community-based wildlife crime prevention systems, and enable the exchange of best practices in conservation and community engagement.
At Manas National Park, an interactive session was held at the Manas Maozigendri Ecotourism Society (MMES) office at Lawkhi Bazar. MMES President Mahendra Basumatary briefed the visiting team on the growth of MMES, its ecotourism initiatives, and its contribution to conservation efforts in Manas. Maksam Tayeng, Chairman of the Pasighat CSMT, shared experiences on the formation and achievements of the team in protecting the D’Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. The session was facilitated by Dr. Jimmy Borah, Deputy Director, Aaranyak LAD.
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The delegation also interacted with Aaranyak’s Community and Livelihood Division, where discussions focused on livelihood-based interventions for fringe villages, community participation, and conservation-linked economic opportunities. The session was led by Detchung Basumatary. At Raimona National Park, an interactive meeting was organised at the Forest Inspection Bungalow, Central Range, involving forest officials, villagers and community representatives. A separate stakeholders’ meeting brought together representatives from around 15 Eco-Development Committees, village heads and local NGOs to discuss initiating CSMTs in the Raimona landscape.
Aaranyak official Ivy Farheen Hussain explained the CSMT framework, while Nippon Kumar Baisnab, Assistant Director, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Guwahati, urged communities to share credible information with enforcement agencies. The exposure visit also included safaris in both parks, offering participants firsthand experience of the landscapes and conservation challenges.
