https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Mitigating Human-Elephant Conflicts through People’s Participation in Meghalaya

Meghalaya Forest department has partnered with local communities and biodiversity conservation organisation, Aaranyak, to devise ways to prevent human-elephant conflicts (HEC). Village Protection Forces (VPFs) are being formed to maintain peace and control crowd during the conflicts. Around 63 Village Protection Forces (VPF) have been formed for controlling and reducing HEC.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Last three years have been tough for the Meghalaya forest department as frequent human-elephant conflicts (HEC) have resulted in a surge in deaths. The state forest department is now taking various measures to mitigate such conflicts and create an environment where the pachyderms and the people can coexist.

The department has signed a MoU with biodiversity conservation organisation, Arayanak, in this regard to check the human-elephant conflicts in West Garo Hills. Under this MoU, Aaranyak will work cohesively with the Meghalaya Forest Department to address the issue of HEC in six pre-selected villages of the hill district.

HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT

While speaking with Indian Masterminds, DFO West Garo Hills, RK Marak said, “In our division and other parts of Meghalaya, the elephants are not only concentrated on protected lands but they also move around on all the community lands. As the land is under the local community, it causes various issues as elephants unknowingly harm their crops, fields, houses and even the people. Due to this, it becomes difficult to manage the forest and the community together.”

DFO RK Marak (middle left) and DM Swapnil Tembe (middle)

Once elephants enter the community areas, it cannot be predicted how how they will react. In order to save themselves and their belongings, the people try to scare and chase away the animal which further leads to conflicts among them. This also creates resentment among the people against the forest department.

Mr. Marak further said, “A major issue is the shortage of staff in the forest department. Due to this, it gets difficult to manage and monitor the movement of animals in the forests. However, to counter this, we are getting assistance from the community and now special village protection forces are being formed to not only mitigate the HEC conflicts in the area but also spread awareness among people about the well-being of animals and how they are important for the overall eco-system.”

VILLAGE PROTECTION FORCE

Village Protection Force (VPF) is being created in the West Garo Hills, which is basically a group of villagers that assists the forest forces to mitigate such conflicts in their areas. Mr. Marak said, “These volunteers are paid wages to work with us. Before our staff reaches the face of a conflict, these VPFs try and maintain peace and also control the crowd at the same time. They try to calm down the villagers and also try to stop any destruction by the elephants.”

As of now, the forest department is coordinating with the district administration, police, and block level officers to create more livelihood opportunities for the local communities so that the trust factor remains and the forests are managed properly. As per the officer, around 63 Village Protection Forces are being formed for the main reason of reducing HEC.

In the past three years, around 12 cases of deaths have been reported in Meghalaya and around four deaths in the past three months alone. Mr. Marak said, “It is not that the animals are to be blamed all the time, we, humans, are equally responsible for such happenings. Such incidents occur mostly in night time, and during the process of running away from their homes, people succumb to death. Many ways are being followed to reduce these cases, and now, after the collaboration with the NGO, we might see a change in our division.”

WORKSHOP

The ambitious project was flagged off recently with an inception workshop, organised in the Circuit House of Tura. The workshop was attended by Swapnil Tambe, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, West Garo Hills, Tura, Vikas Kumar, IPS, Addl. SP, West Garo Hills, Tura, SN Sangma, IFS, Conservator of Forests (WL&T), Garo Hills Region, Tura, Mrs. CA Sangma, MCS, BDO, Tikrikilla, West Garo Hills, RK Marak, DFO, East and West Garo Hills (Wildlife Division) and other government officials from various departments, representatives of organisations and members of local communities.

Participants from six villages of the West Garo Hills district, namely Jamdamgre, Borogobol, Bandukmalli, Darensegre, Kharsingdap, Potamati and Bordupi also took part in the workshop.

ABOUT AARANYAK

The Elephant Research and Conservation Division of Aaranyak, a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation recognised by the Ministry of Science and Technology, headquartered in Guwahati, has adopted multifaceted approaches to mitigate conflict with elephants.

In neighbouring state Assam, Aaranyak has so far installed more than 80 km of solar-powered fences in HEC affected areas which have aided in promoting coexistence with these gentle giants. Other initiatives to reduce HEC includes cultivation of crops that are less attractive to elephants, which at the same time supplement income, outreach activities, creation of group of local volunteers, Elephant Conservation Network to monitor elephants and act as an early warning system, providing mitigation tools such as solar street-lights, complementing the efforts of anti-depredation squads, etc.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
SEBI
SEBI Appoints 3 New Executive Directors: Amit Pradhan, Avneesh Pandey & Sanjay Purao Take Charge
Lateral_entry_resized
No Reservation in Lateral Govt Job Entries, Centre Tells Rajya Sabha Citing Single-Post Rule
DelhiPolice
Top-Level Shake-Up in Delhi Police: 3 IPS Officers Reassigned Amid Security Concerns; Chahal Named DG, Civil Defence
mp
MP’s ₹3 Lakh Crore Infrastructure Boom: 255 km Greenfield Highway, ₹5,500 Cr Tiger Corridor Among Key Road Projects
FINNOVATION 2025
SBI & IIT Guwahati Celebrate FINNOVATION 2025 Winners in Gurugram, Empowering Young Innovators to Solve Banking Challenges
nitish-kumar
Bihar: CM Nitish Kumar Inaugurates Rs 44 Crore Six-Lane Pull-Up Ramp in Patna, Aims to Ease Traffic Congestion- Know More
CM yogi
UP: CM Yogi Inaugurates Two New Kalyan Mandaps in Gorakhpur, Emphasizes Accessible Celebration Spaces- Full Details Inside
CISF
National Security at Risk: Centre Opposes Supreme Court Ruling Curtailing IPS Deputation in CAPFs, Says IPS Presence is Crucial
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
SEBI
SEBI Appoints 3 New Executive Directors: Amit Pradhan, Avneesh Pandey & Sanjay Purao Take Charge
Lateral_entry_resized
No Reservation in Lateral Govt Job Entries, Centre Tells Rajya Sabha Citing Single-Post Rule
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT