Assam launches ‘Gaja Mitra’ to tackle rising human-elephant conflicts

Assam is rolling out an ambitious new initiative, Gaja Mitra ("Elephant Friend"), aimed at curbing the growing clashes between humans and elephants across the state.

The programme is launching in five of Assam’s worst-affected districts, namely Goalpara, Baksa, Udalguri, Sonitpur, and Nagaon, where human-elephant conflict has led to tragic losses of life, damaged homes, and destroyed crops.

What is causing this conflict?

Encroachment on elephant habitats and shrinking forest cover have increasingly pushed wild herds into farmlands and villages in search of food, leading to escalating tensions between people and pachyderms.

How Gaja Mitra plans to help

At its core, Gaja Mitra adopts a multi-pronged approach:

• Restoring Forest Habitats: The programme will work to replenish degraded forests with diverse plant species and restore green corridors. The goal? Create safer, food-rich migratory paths for elephants — so they can roam freely without wandering into human settlements.

• Community Engagement: Villagers will receive training to better understand elephant behaviour, prepare for potential encounters, and safeguard crops and property. Building trust and cooperation between communities and wildlife authorities is key to the programme’s success.

Adding a high-tech layer, Gaja Mitra is deploying AI-powered camera traps throughout the forests. These “digital sentinels” detect elephant movement and send real-time alerts to nearby villages. This early warning system gives communities precious time to act, whether it’s securing homes, protecting crops, or temporarily evacuating, helping to prevent dangerous surprise encounters.