Assam: Forest Department-Aaranyak efforts lead to decline in human deaths in Lakhipur human-elephant conflict hotspot

Assam’s Lakhipur human-elephant conflict hotspot is seeing fewer fatalities after coordinated mitigation efforts led by the Assam Forest Department and Aaranyak. Data cited for Lakhipur, near the Assam–Meghalaya border, show human deaths from HEC falling to just two in 2025, compared with 19 deaths in 2022. The July 3 report attributes the improvement to measures that reduce direct contact, including solar-powered fences, solar street lights in selected HEC-prone areas, and rechargeable torches for volunteers. In Lakhipur Circle, the Forest Department working with Aaranyak has installed about 47 km of solar fencing protecting at least 18 villages and benefiting around 1,440 households. Volunteers from Elephant Conservation Networks and Gaja Mitras support early alerts via WhatsApp and coordinate with forest staff. On June 29, Lakhipur Revenue Circle officer Sailen Dutta Das urged multiple government departments to sustain the trend ahead of a planned October 2026 review.