Assam releases ‘Haati App’ to curb human-elephant conflicts
The app includes a form for victims or their relatives to request government compensation for harm or death caused by an elephant attack.
To lower the number of deaths resulting from accidents involving wild elephants, a new mobile app named Haati App has been released in Assam, where human-elephant encounters have become more perilous.
According to sources, Assam, which is well-known for having a big population of elephants, has been dealing with an increase in occurrences involving the deaths of both humans and elephants. This is because the natural corridors used by the animals are being encroached upon and their habitat is diminishing.
Features of ‘Haati App’
The BBC reports that the Haati app will function as an early warning system, telling users when wild elephants are in the area so they may take the appropriate safety measures and move aside. The software offers more functionality than merely a warning. It also has an application form that victims or their relatives can use to ask for government compensation in the event that an elephant assault results in harm or death.
Aaranyak, a biodiversity organisation in northeast India, created the app in reaction to the startling amount of fatalities brought on by these encounters. With support from the SBI Foundation, it was developed and officially released on August 10.
According to The Hindu, Bibhuti P. Lahkar, head of Aarankak’s Elephant Research and Conservation Division, stated: “The app will contain the ex gratia application form against damages caused due to depredation by wild elephants.”
“We will submit the filled-up ex gratia application form to the forest division concerned on behalf of the victims of human-elephant conflicts to compliment the Assam Forest Department’s efforts to pay compensation,” he stated.
1,701 persons in India lost their lives as a result of encounters with wild elephants between 2020 and 2024, according to the Hindustan Times. These encounters endanger both humans and animals. The WWF estimates that less than 50,000 Asian elephants remain in the wild in India.
In addition to the app, Aaranyak has published a guide on solar-powered fences, which have been shown to be efficient in keeping elephants away from human settlements. The guidebook, written in Assamese, has full instructions for erecting, controlling, and maintaining these barriers. According to the organization’s spokeswoman, the British Asian Trust and the Darwin Initiative are helping to create this manual.
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