Nineteen families have been allotted houses by Wildlife Trust of India for voluntarily agreeing to relocate to clear a corridor for elephant movement in Assam.
The families of Ram Terang village of Karbi Anglong district were allotted the houses at Sar Kro village by a lottery draw to set up a model Karbi village after they voluntarily decided to relocate, WTI Project Leader Dilip Deuri said today.
Ram Terang was located within the Kalapahar-Doigurung Elephant Corridor and witnessed frequent human-elephant conflict with regular loss of crops, property and both human and elephant casualties. It was decided to relocate the families to a site near Sar Kro village as part of community based conservation initiatives undertaken to reduce dependence on the corridor.
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The draw was organised by WTI and the 19 households being relocated will also be given additional land for agriculture subsequently to further minimise their dependence on corridor resources.
"Lottery draw was initiated before construction of houses so that villagers can actively participate in the construction phase and take its ownership," Deori said.
Supported by Elephant Family, IUCN - Netherlands and Japan Tiger Elephant Fund, the initiative will help secure the corridor used by elephants to move between Kalapahar and Doigurung Nambor Wildlife Sanctuary in the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape.
Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council will endorse the relocation plan thereby creating a model of rehabilitation for conservation to be followed at other places in future, he added.
