Aaranyak installs 25 solar street lights in HEC-hit villages in Goalpara, West Garo Hills
Aaranyak installs 25 solar street lights in HEC-hit villages in Goalpara,
West Garo Hills
Northeast News
March 29, 2025
As part of its sustained community-centric efforts to mitigate
human-elephant conflict (HEC) and facilitate coexistence, Aaranyak, a
premier biodiversity conservation organization, recently installed 25 solar
street lights (SSL) in certain HEC hotspots in Assam’s Goalpara district
and Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district.
These solar streetlights will enable villagers in human-elephant conflict
areas of Goalpara and West Garo Hills to spot elephants at night from a
safe distance, allowing them to avoid encounters or retreat to safety.
Over the past few years, Aaranyak has installed solar street lights in
cooperation with human-elephant conflict-affected communities in Goalpara
and West Garo Hills to mitigate the conflict.
The human-elephant conflict landscape lies along the Assam-Meghalaya state
border.
As many as twenty-five solar street lights were installed on March 19 -20
this year at various HEC-affected villages with active community
cooperation.
Out of these, 20 solar street lights were installed in 13 villages in
Goalpara district. The beneficiary villages in the district include
Jalapara (2 SSL), Belpara (1 SSL), Pachim Matia (2 SSL) under Ranjuli
Forest Range; Dahikata (2 SSL), Dakurbhita (1 SSL), Rangagarha (2 SSL),
Mamakata (2 SSL), Amtola (2 SSL), Nichinta (1 SSL) under Goalpara Sadar
Forest Range; Sapleng (1 SSL) under Krishnai Forest Range; Thahurbilla (1
SSL), Borjhora (1 SSL), Dhamor (2 SSL) under Lakhipur Forest Range.
Five more solar street lights were installed with support from Darwin
Initiative in three villages – two SSL at Khokapara (Lahapara), two SSL at
Chisikgre (Belguri) and one SSL at Photamati under Holaidonga Forest Range
of West Garo Hills district.
Notably, Aaranyak, in partnership with British Asian Trust and the Goalpara
Forest Division, has been working with local communities and other
stakeholders to mitigate HEC and promote coexistence in the Garo
Hills-Goalpara landscape in the region.