Mobile campaign warns communities in Assam’s Udalguri and Baksa against deadly electric fencing
Guwahati, Oct 23: An e-rickshaw carrying a warning against deadly electric fencing is taking the message of elephant conservation to villages, tea gardens and weekly markets across Assam’s Udalguri and Baksa districts, where elephants risk being electrocuted by illegal live wires.
The campaign, named AIRAVAT, was launched by conservation organisation Aaranyak recently to prevent elephant deaths and protect people from hazardous electrical installations used to keep wildlife away from crops.
Rather than wait for another elephant to die, the campaign is taking its message directly to communities, urging residents to abandon illegal electric fencing and seek safer ways to protect their fields.
The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department, district administrations and Assam Police, with members of Elephant Conservation Networks (ECNs) helping spread awareness and engage residents.
Illegal fencing, often created by connecting live wires to unauthorised domestic electricity connections or the power grid, can turn the edges of fields and settlements into deadly traps. Elephants attempting to enter crop fields may be electrocuted, while people can also be killed or injured by wires they do not realise are live.
An attempt to protect crops can end in the loss of both human and elephant lives.
Taking the warning to the doorstep
Using mobile public-address announcements, campaign teams are reaching weekly markets, tea garden settlements and villages across the two districts. Forest officials, Aaranyak staff and ECN members accompany the outreach, explaining the dangers of illegal fencing and encouraging the safe removal of hazardous installations with the support of the authorities.
The campaign has also become a platform for residents to raise concerns about human-elephant conflict and seek information on compensation for eligible losses and damages.
Some villagers who were previously unaware of compensation provisions have approached the teams to learn about the assistance available and how to apply.
The engagement, Aaranyak said, is helping bridge information gaps while building community support for safer ways of living alongside elephants.
From tea gardens to weekly markets
The outreach has covered extensive areas under the Dhansiri Forest Division in Udalguri, including locations in the Nunai and Barnadi ranges, and villages under the Batabari Range of the Baksa Forest Division.
In Udalguri, the campaign has reached several weekly markets, including Bamonjuli, Dimakuchi and Kachubil, as well as tea garden settlements such as Panery, Bhootiachang, Dimakuchi and Badlapara.
In Baksa, teams have taken the message to communities including Subankhata, Panbari, Bongaon, Sonajuli, Durgapur and Sagarmatha, among many others.
The campaign is set to extend to Tamulpur district, while awareness activities will continue in Udalguri and Baksa through the paddy harvesting season, when crop protection and encounters with elephants can become pressing concerns.
Aaranyak said the participation of forest personnel and community-based conservation networks was central to the initiative, helping turn roadside announcements into conversations with residents.
The campaign’s broader aim is to prevent avoidable deaths and strengthen human-elephant coexistence by addressing one of the most dangerous ways people attempt to protect their crops.
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