Guwahati: Aaranyak, a biodiversity conservation organisation, has formed seven Rapid Response Units (RRUs) in eastern Assam districts, including Majuli, Jorhat, Sivasagar, and Tinsukia, to address human-elephant conflict (HEC) and promote coexistence through community involvement.
Working with the British Asian Trust, Assam Forest Department, and support from the Darwin Initiative, Aaranyak established the RRUs after conducting extensive community consultations in July 2023.
The RRUs, comprising community members, will serve as early warning systems to mitigate HEC and foster peaceful coexistence. Through WhatsApp, they will inform nearby villages about elephant movements, creating a community guarding system.
The first RRU was established on July 5 in Majuli’s Ujoni area, with 58 community members from HEC-affected villages participating. Additional RRUs were formed in Lebangkola village (Dibrugarh district), Chatragua grant, Majumelia village (Sivasagar district), Sagunpora village, and Sankardev M.E. School (Jorhat district). The seventh RRU was formed in Sadiya, Tinsukia district.
Aaranyak involved Village Champions and voluntary Village Defense Parties members in the RRUs, with each RRU having an assigned spokesperson to coordinate with stakeholders and Aaranyak’s core team.
During the formation process, Aaranyak’s research official, Rubul Tanti, educated villagers on the impact of HEC, emphasising the importance of proactive RRUs for coexistence.
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Key members like Zakir Islam Bora and Niranjan Bhuyan, along with others, played vital roles in the successful establishment of the RRUs.
Village champions, Manoj Chetia, Bidya Borborah, Sunil Taye, and Makhan Kalit, who received training from Aaranyak, were actively involved in the process, facilitating project activities in the project villages.
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