New App to Warn Assam Villagers of Elephants

• 12 Aug 2024

Villagers in Assam and Meghalaya's human-elephant conflict zones will soon benefit from a new mobile app, HaatiApp, designed to provide early warnings about wild elephant movements to prevent conflicts.

• Aaranyak, a conservation group, has introduced HaatiApp to help villagers avoid conflicts with wild elephants by providing real-time alerts.
• The app will serve as an early warning system, notifying users of nearby wild elephants to mitigate negative interactions.
• It will also facilitate the submission of ex-gratia claims for damages caused by elephants, streamlining compensation processes.
• The app's functionality includes sharing ex-gratia forms with the state forest department to ensure timely compensation.
• Aaranyak has trained numerous volunteers in eight districts of Assam and one in Meghalaya to use the app and assist with conservation efforts.
• Initial deployment will be in Goalpara, with plans to expand to other districts based on conflict vulnerability assessments.
• The app is funded by SBI Foundation, and a manual for constructing solar fences to deter elephants has also been released, sponsored by the British Asian Trust and Darwin Initiative.