Human-Elephant Conflict Deaths Drop Sharply in Assam’s Lakhipur Due to Coordinated Conservation Efforts

Human deaths have declined sharply in Assam’s Lakhipur hotspot of human elephant conflict (HEC) because of unrelenting and coordinated mitigation efforts by Goalpara Division of Assam Forest Department and premier biodiversity conservation non-profit Aaranyak.

According to the data available, number of human deaths due to HEC in Lakhipur located close to Assam-Meghalaya boundary, came down to only two in the year 2025 from 19 deaths in 2022 because of the persistent mitigation efforts put up by the Forest Department in collaboration with Aaranyak.

The Range officer, Lakhipur Forest Range Moupran Gayon  informing  on the ongoing efforts for HEC mitigation in the Range  with cooperation from Aaranyak, highlighted how mitigation tools like solar-powered fences, solar street lights installed in select HEC prone areas, rechargeable torchlights provided to volunteers with cooperation from Aaranyak, have been instrumental in reducing direct interface between humans and wild elephants of late leading to decline in human casualties.

So far, the Forest Department through Aaranyak has installed about 47 km solar-powered fence securing at least 18 HEC prone villages in Lakhipur Circle benefitting about 1440 households.

Volunteers of Elephant Conservation Networks (ECN) promoted by Aaranyak and Gaja Mitras engaged by Assam Forest Department too have contributed extensively in reducing the conflict in the area. At least 70 ECN volunteers and 40 Gaja Mitras are working in close coordination with Forest Department staff in Lakhipur Range for facilitating peaceful human-elephant coexistence.

The ECN comprises of volunteers networked through WhatsApp, who raise early alarm for neighbouring areas as soon as wild elephants are sighted in their respective localities.

The Circle Officer of Lakhipur Revenue Circle, Sailen Dutta Das while lauding this collaborative HEC mitigation efforts , during a meeting on June 29 last asked all other concerned government departments working in the revenue circle -- APDCL, Veterinary Department , Agriculture Department , Social Welfare Department, Education Department, Soil Conservation Department,  Police Department, Health and Family Welfare Department, Forest Department, DDMA, Panchayat and Rural Development Department -- to contribute towards the HEC mitigation through action-driven efforts to maintain this declining trend of human deaths and facilitate coexistence. 

He said, in the next such meeting scheduled for October 2026, the civil administration will take stock of the action taken by the concerned departments in this regard. Representatives of these concerned government departments assured to provide necessary support as required for HEC mitigation.

The inter-departments interaction focused on mitigation of human elephant conflict (HEC) and involving concerned government departments was convened by the Circle Officer of Lakhipur Revenue Circle in collaboration with Aaranyak.

Reputed conservation scientist and head of Elephant Research and Conservation Division (ERCD) of Aaranyak Dr Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, made a power-point presentation (PPT) in the meeting on HEC mitigation highlighting the role of concerned government departments.