Assam: 30 solar streetlights installed in Human-Elephant hit villages in several districts

Guwahati (Assam) [India], October 7 : As solar street lights have proved a suitable tool for mitigation of Human-Elephant conflict (HEC) in affected areas, premier biodiversity conservation organisation 'Aaranyak' has installed 30 more such solar street lights across 21 HEC-affected villages in Assam's Udalguri, Baksa and Tamulpur districts under Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).
These solar lights were installed with support from the SBI Foundation involving the local community members recently with the objective to reduce the risks of human-elephant face-offs after dusk in HEC affected areas.
As these solar streetlight illuminates identified vulnerable HEC-hotspots after the sunset, presence of wild elephants in these spots could be spotted by villagers from a safe distance and that prevents unwarranted interactions between villagers and elephants as both the species could navigate suitably in the shared space for their respective safety.
"The solar lights are strategically placed where the locations were identified involving local communities and members from Elephant Conservation Network (ECN), helping both communities and elephants to avoid accidents and distress," said Dr Alolika Sinha, a senior biologist in Aaranyak.
Aaranyak's team comprising Anjan Baruah, Rabiya Daimari, Mondeep Basumatari, Abhijit Saikia, Bikash Tossa, Jaugashar Basumatary, and Pradip Barman with participation from Elephant Conservation Network (ECN) members and local communities completed the task of installing all these 30 solar streetlights.