Latest news with #Assam-Meghalaya
The Hindu
29-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Transboundary elephant raids: Farmers in Bhutan leave croplands fallow
GUWAHATI: Farmers in Bhutan and India tend to leave their croplands fallow, fearing raids by elephants driven out of their natural habitats owing to anthropogenic or human-caused activities. Data on farmers on the Indian side of the boundary between the two countries abandoning their fields is not available. A report in Trumpet, a quarterly journal of the Wildlife Institute of India, said 30% of their counterparts in Bhutan leave their land fallow, fearing crop damage. The report cites a 2024 study revealing the scale of the challenge in Bhutan's Sarpang Forest Division, where more than 40% of the households reported experiencing human-elephant conflicts (HEC). 'Alarmingly, 30% of farmers leave their land fallow, fearing crop damage. Elephants primarily raid maize and paddy, which are the most widely cultivated crops, but cash crops like areca nut, oranges, ginger, and cardamom have also been targeted. The cultivated area for maize and paddy was large as compared to other crops, resulting in the maximum incidence of crop raiding by elephants,' the report said. The authors of the report are Ugyen Tshering, an officer at Bhutan's Jomotsangkha Wildlife Sanctuary; Sonali Ghosh, the Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve; and Rupali Thakur and Anukul Nath of the Assam Forest Department. According to its national elephant survey in 2016, Bhutan has an estimated 678 elephants primarily inhabiting the southern foothills bordering Assam and West Bengal. While these animals are integral to the region's biodiversity, their presence increasingly comes at a cost to local communities, with HEC causing economic strain and social stress, particularly for farmers in southern Bhutan. Joint Assam-Meghalaya hydropower project opposed 'Farmers in Sarpang have observed a steady rise in elephant incursions, a trend likely driven by forest degradation and fragmentation, which push elephants into human-dominated areas. Yet, a significant number of conflict incidents remain unreported,' the report says. One of the factors behind under-reporting is said to be religious beliefs rooted in Bhutanese culture, which encourage compassion toward wildlife. 'Local communities in Sarpang have predominantly relied on traditional mitigation measures, including keeping night vigils, making fire, and beating drums. However, many farmers view electric fencing as the most effective solution,' the report says, pointing out that only 0.65% of the affected farmers in Sarpang could afford electric fences. Compared to their counterparts in Bhutan, more farmers in India – specifically Assam's Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) – are opting for electric or solar-powered fences and bio-fences, which involve growing 'elephant-repellent' cash crops such as lemon and chilli around rice and vegetable fields. The study attributes this to support from local governments and NGOs. Regional soft diplomacy HEC results in about 300 human and 200 elephant deaths in India every year, apart from damage to about 15,000 houses and 8-10 million hectares of crops. One of the major critical stretches is along the BTR-Bhutan border, more than 250 km long. During the late 1980s, present-day BTR experienced a severe socio-political crisis arising out of the Bodoland statehood movement, devastating the infrastructure of the region and causing large-scale destruction of the wildlife and its habitat, specifically the Chirang-Ripu Elephant Reserve and the adjoining Manas Tiger Reserve. Asiatic wild dog returns to Assam's Kaziranga landscape The extent of the damage was evident from the eastern part of this landscape in 2009, when 14 people and 10 elephants died in conflicts. The study calls for promoting 'regional soft diplomacy by promoting multi-stakeholder groups such as the Trans-boundary Manas Conservation Area, a Bhutan-India collaborative initiative established in 2011 to address protected areas and biological corridors along the border between the two countries. The study advocates exploring and implementing a variety of community and household-based protection measures, including cooperative crop guarding and fencing. 'Creating awareness and educating communities on the importance of elephant conservation should be initiated by officials from protected areas and other environmental and educational agencies,' it says. It also underlines capacity building and law enforcement. 'The officials and local teams on both sides of the border can be jointly trained to enforce the law and also maintain relevant databases. Illegal activities that result in elephant mortality can be prevented by such joint enforcement,' the study says.
Hindustan Times
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Second Assam-Meghalaya border pact likely before Aug 15: Paul Lyngdoh
Shillong, In a significant step toward resolving the long-standing border dispute between Assam and Meghalaya, MDA government spokesperson Paul Lyngdoh on Friday said a second MoU is expected to be signed between the two states before August 15. Second Assam-Meghalaya border pact likely before Aug 15: Paul Lyngdoh This comes after the first pact signed in 2022, which resolved issues in six out of 12 areas of contention along the interstate boundary. Lyngdoh, who is also a cabinet minister in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance , told PTI, "The proposed agreement is expected to bring five new villages along the disputed block in Ri-Bhoi district under Meghalaya's jurisdiction." He said, "This is a significant step forward in resolving the border dispute. The inclusion of these villages is a result of sustained engagement and negotiation with the Assam government." The announcement comes amidst skirmishes along the interstate border in West Jaintia Hills district earlier this week in which the villagers of Lapangap razed tree plantations initiated by Assam's Karbi Anglong Autonomous District Council allegedly in violation of a status quo order. Following the incident, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had said that the state government decided to post a police team at the village to maintain peace. According to Lyngdoh, the two state governments have also made notable progress in border negotiations in other disputed sectors. "In the Langpih area, a final solution is at arm's length but for a joint inspection to be conducted by the border committees. We are awaiting confirmation from our Assam counterpart headed by Mr. Patowari," he said. On the disputed Jaintia Hills sector, the minister said a resolution was also within reach. Emphasizing that the MDA government is taking concrete action to end the border impasse, Lyngdoh said, "This government is committed to protecting Meghalaya's territorial interests and ensuring that our boundaries are respected." This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Assam & Meghalaya villagers protest proposed dam on Kulsi
Guwahati: Hundreds of people from Assam, joined by residents from adjoining Meghalaya, organised a protest march at Chaygaon in Kamrup district on Wednesday, opposing a proposed 55 MW hydel power project along the interstate border near Ukiam. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The demonstration comes in response to the joint Assam-Meghalaya move to build the dam by evicting villages located near the Kulsi river. More than a dozen organisations participated in the rally, including units of the All Assam Students' Union, All Rabha Students' Union, Assam-Meghalaya Joint Protection Committee, Ukiam-Kyrsai group, Garo National Council (Assam Zone), and Bongaon Anchalik Committee of the All Assam Tribal Sangha. These groups represent a cross-section of tribal and non-tribal communities — Khasi, Gorkha, Bengali, Koch-Rajbongshi, Garo, Rabha, Bodo, and others. Memorandums were submitted to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma, demanding that the project be scrapped. Protesters said the proposed dam, located upstream on the Kulsi river — a major tributary of the Brahmaputra — would devastate agricultural livelihoods in Kamrup, affect wetlands such as Chandubi Lake, and destroy habitats of endangered Gangetic river dolphin. The fishing community downstream has also voiced opposition, raising concerns after CM Sarma announced the proposed project following a meeting with his Meghalaya counterpart. Kulsi is considered the agricultural lifeline of south Kamrup district. The river originates from the confluence of the Khri (Sri), Dilma (Ghoga), and Dron rivers at the "Tribeni Sangam" in Ukiam, flowing onward as a vital Brahmaputra tributary. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "The crops and natural vegetation of south Kamrup depend on the Kulsi's flow. Installing a 62-metre-high dam at Ukiam would severely disrupt this ecosystem," read the memorandum sent to the CMs via the Chaygaon circle officer. Protesters also warned of the risks during monsoon, citing past cloudburst incidents. They fear that in the event of excess rainfall, a sudden release from the dam's reservoir could cause large-scale devastation downstream. According to the memorandum, the proposed project is expected to affect several villages in Assam's Kamrup district and Meghalaya's West Khasi Hills. These include Ukiam, Barjhar, Dighalbil, Warygrow, Krishnapur, Umthali, Mekhamdal, Darifang, and others. Kulsi is home to the endangered Gangetic river dolphin, or Sihu, Assam's state aquatic animal, listed on the IUCN Red List, the memorandum stated.
