Assam: HaatiApp to help communities coexist with elephants, reduce conflicts

Kamrup Metropolitan (Assam) [India], August 9 (ANI): Aaranyak, a leading biodiversity conservation organisation in Guwahati, has developed a mobile application to help mitigate the ongoing Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) and promote coexistence in the state of Assam and the rest of the region.

The application called ‘HaatiApp’ (ElephantApp) will act as an early warning system about presence of wild elephants in the proximity of human settlements so as to help villagers avoid negative interface with wild elephants, as per Aaranyak.

According to the organnisation’s senior conservation scientist and the Head of Elephant Research and Conservation Division (ERCD) Bibhuti P Lahkar, the app will also contain the ex-gratia application form against damages caused due to depredation by wild elephants.

The filled-up ex-gratia application form will be submitted to the respective Forest Divisions by Aaranyak on behalf of the victims of the HEC so as to compliment the Forest Department’s efforts to pay compensation.

The initiative is supported by SBI foundation.

In addition to ‘HaatiApp’, Aaranyak has compiled a handbook in Assamese on solar-powered fences that are used as an effective tool for mitigation of HEC.

The handbook contains detailed information about solar fences, its utility in mitigating HEC, functioning of each of the components of solar fence, the procedure of installation, management and maintenance of the fence besides all “Dos and Don’ts, regarding such solar fence.

The handbook is expected to be useful for the grassroot community engaged in solar fence management, forest department personnel, the contractor firms engaged by the Forest Department to install solar fences and other conservation organisations interested in utilising solar fences for HEC mitigation.

British Asian Trust and Darwin Initiative have supported the Solar Fence Manual brought out by Aaranyak.

Both the HaatiApp and Solar Fence manual are being launched ceremonially on August 10 in a function organised in Guwahati for the occasion.