Elephant Attacks Drop Sharply in Assam Conflict Zone

Guwahati: Human deaths linked to elephant encounters in Lakhipur plummeted over the last three years. Officials recorded 19 fatalities in 2022, but that number fell to only two by 2025. This success stems from a joint push by the Assam Forest Department and the conservation group Aaranyak.

Interventions include 47 kilometers of solar-powered fencing covering 18 high-risk villages. These fences protect nearly 1,440 households from wandering herds. Lakhipur Range Officer Moupran Gayon said, "Interventions such as solar-powered fences, solar street lights in vulnerable villages, and rechargeable torchlights provided to volunteers have helped minimise direct encounters between people and wild elephants."

A network of 70 Elephant Conservation Network volunteers and 40 Gaja Mitras maintains this barrier. They use a WhatsApp-based early warning system to signal elephant movements before trouble starts. The team keeps locals alert around the clock.

Circle Officer Sailen Dutta Das met with local government departments on June 29 to demand continued support. Police, agriculture, and health officials pledged to keep the momentum going. Dr. Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar of Aaranyak expects tighter coordination to ensure people and elephants stop clashing.