HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, June 2: Amid rising incidents of human-elephant conflict in Assam, the state has rolled out a new initiative—Gaja Mitra—aimed at safeguarding both rural communities and the region’s elephant population, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Monday.
According to Sarma, the programme is being implemented in five of the most affected districts—Goalpara, Baksa, Udalguri, Sonitpur, and Nagaon—where encounters between people and elephants frequently lead to crop destruction, property damage, and loss of life on both sides.
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Launched as part of a broader conservation push, the project adopts a holistic strategy to address the crisis. Central to this approach is the restoration of elephant habitats through afforestation and ecological enrichment. By improving forest corridors and ensuring sufficient food availability in the wild, the initiative aims to reduce the need for elephants to stray into human settlements.
A senior forest official noted that technology is also at the heart of Gaja Mitra. Artificial intelligence-powered camera traps have been installed in forested areas, serving as real-time alert systems.
“These high-tech devices detect elephant movement and send instant notifications to nearby villages, giving residents crucial time to act and avoid potentially dangerous encounters,” he added.
To support farmers, the initiative has introduced enhanced crop procurement measures in vulnerable zones, designed to shield cultivators from financial losses caused by elephant raids. Additionally, specially trained community teams—dubbed Gaja Mitras—are being deployed as on-the-ground mediators. These local volunteers will raise awareness, assist during elephant movements, and strengthen coordination between forest officials and villagers, in line with the principle of Jan Bhagidari (people’s participation).
Assam’s forest minister Chandra Mohan Patowary recently revealed that the state records, on average, more than 70 human and 80 elephant deaths annually due to these conflicts.
“With over 5,700 elephants currently residing in Assam and human encroachment steadily increasing, officials warn that such confrontations are becoming unavoidable unless immediate action is taken,” he added.
Gaja Mitra represents a timely and much-needed response—blending conservation, innovation, and grassroots engagement to shift the narrative from confrontation to coexistence.
