Human fatalities resulting from human-elephant conflict (HEC) have witnessed a marked decline in Assam’s Lakhipur, one of the state’s most vulnerable conflict zones along the Assam–Meghalaya border, following sustained mitigation initiatives undertaken by the Assam Forest Department in collaboration with biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak.
Official figures show that the number of human deaths linked to human-elephant conflict in Lakhipur has fallen from 19 in 2022 to just two in 2025, indicating significant progress in reducing conflict between local communities and wild elephants.
Lakhipur Range Officer Moupran Gayon attributed the improvement to a series of preventive measures, including the installation of solar-powered fences, solar street lights in vulnerable villages and the distribution of rechargeable torchlights to volunteers. These interventions have helped reduce direct encounters between people and elephants in conflict-prone areas.
Authorities said nearly 47 kilometres of solar-powered fencing have so far been erected across 18 villages identified as highly susceptible to elephant movement, providing protection to around 1,440 households.
Community participation has also played a key role in the programme. A network of 70 Elephant Conservation Network (ECN) volunteers and 40 Gaja Mitras has been working alongside Forest Department personnel to monitor elephant movement and spread timely alerts. The ECN operates a WhatsApp-based early warning system that informs nearby villages whenever elephants are spotted in the vicinity.
During a review meeting held on June 29, Lakhipur Circle Officer Sailen Dutta Das called upon departments including agriculture, health, police, veterinary, education and disaster management to continue supporting efforts aimed at further reducing human-elephant conflict.
Officials from the participating departments assured their cooperation during the meeting. Aaranyak’s Head of the Elephant Research and Conservation Division, Dr. Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, also outlined measures to strengthen coordination among government agencies to promote long-term coexistence between humans and elephants.
