A mobile application designed to decrease deaths due to wild elephants venturing into populated regions for food and refuge has been introduced in the northeastern Assam state of India. This initiative has been driven by Aaranyak, a biodiversity NGO in Assam – a state that holds the largest elephant population in the country, numbering over 5,700. The application, known as Haatiapp (Elephantapp), informs users of imminent elephant herds and provides a compensation claim feature for those affected by elephant attacks.
In the time period between 2020 and 2024, elephants claimed 1,701 lives around India, with a notable majority of these incidents taking place in Assam. In addition, many more were injured during this period. Compensation of 1,00,000 rupees (€3,270) is paid out to the families of the deceased, while lesser amounts are given to those injured.
“The app’s goal is to increase awareness of the elephant issue,” said Bibhuti Lahkar from the Elephant Research and Conservation Division, which played a central role in the app’s creation. He has urged people to download the app to be aware of nearby elephant herds and take necessary precautions.
Environmental activists claim over 500,000 families are negatively impacted each year by rampaging elephants on their farmland. This isn’t just happening in Assam but also in neighbouring states like Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand, as well as certain southern regions of India. Similarly, there are cases of devastation in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand that border Assam.
Instances from the past show that elephants have not refrained from invading an army supply base in north Bengal to steal rum, sugar, and flour. Remarkably, they overcame the electric fencing by using uprooted trees and used their trunks to combat any flames meant to deter them. Elephants are infamous for obstructing highways in Assam and neighbouring Nagaland, making them a hurdle for motorists and truck drivers who resort to offering them bananas to clear the way.
India is home to approximately 60% of all Asian elephants, a species highly revered and symbolically significant to the majority Hindu population of the country.
Ganesha, a deity featuring an elephant head, holds a prominent position within Hindu worship thanks to his renowned intelligence and wisdom. This god is equally acknowledged as a patron of arts and science and is widely seen as an emblem of good luck. Moreover, owning a group of elephants is a status symbol for many temples throughout southern India, who showcase these decorated animals during festive occasions.
Yet, the persisting conflict between humans and elephants has largely disadvantaged the latter. As per the information released by Wildlife SOS, a non-profit organisation, there has been a notable decline in India’s elephant population, reducing from 29,391 in 2012 to 27,312 five years on. The constant division of their habitat places the entire elephant population under a severe threat.