In an exemplary move, a small village in Assam’s troubled Karbi Anglong district has agreed to move itself to a new location in order to clear the Kalapahar-Doigrung Elephant Corridor of all human habitation.
The decision to shift Ram Terang village, located within 30 kms radius of Silonijan area in Karbi Anglong, comes at a time when instances of man-animal conflict are on the rise across the country.
Foundation stone for a new model village was laid recently and the Ram Terang residents are expected to shift to the new location by the year-end. The new model village will have traditional houses reflecting the culture of the area. It will also be equipped with all basic facilities, such as electricity, healthcare, education, etc.
Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) Coordinator Dr Rathin Barman said the project to relocate the village has been undertaken with assistance from Elephant Family, IUCN, Netherlands and Japan Tiger and Elephant Fund. The project is implemented by the WTI with the support from Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and Assam Forest Department.
Rechno Haising Ronghang, the 40th King of Karbi Anglong, who laid the foundation stone of the new village, said that it is a new step that will benefit wildlife as well as people. “There should be no barrier when it comes to wildlife conservation. We need to think of it as something that is necessary for human survival too,” he added. The Kalapahar-Doigurung Elephant Corridor is located about 22 kms from Silonijan and connects Kalapahar with Doigurung-Nambor Wildlife Sanctuary and Kaziranga National Park.
Ram Terang village has been in the middle of the corridor for about 30 years. As a result, human-elephant conflicts are rampant with regular reports about loss of property and life.
“There are about 1,800 elephants in the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape making it the habitat of about 8 per cent of India’s elephants. Securing this corridor will not only provide safe passage to these elephants but also relieve local people of losses caused due to conflicts,” said Barman.
He added that it took three years to convince the villagers that the relocation will help both the residents as well as the animals. “The villagers were very hesitant at first when we approached them with the idea of relocation as it involved complete overhaul of their livelihoods,” Barman said.
“However, eventually they understood the need and benefits of the efforts to animals as well as themselves,” said Dilip Deori, WTI Assistant Manager.