Katie Morrison's fundraising campaign in aid of endangered elephants

A CONSERVATIONIST from Chester Zoo has embarked on a year of major challenges in aid of endangered Asian elephants and needs Globe readers' support.

Katie Morrison is part of the specialist team that cares for Chester Zoo's family herd of elephants, as part of a European endangered species breeding programme.

In a bid to help further the fight to prevent their extinction worldwide, Katie's 2019 will involve a major fundraising challenge every month, ranging from cycling events and mountain climbing through to a 'Go Sober' challenge in December.

Money raised will go towards the zoo's ongoing Never Forget campaign, which has already contributed more than £200,000 towards the search for a cure to a deadly disease, which is threatening elephants in the wild and in zoos globally.

Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) is known to be present in almost all Asian elephants, but only develops into an illness in some, usually young elephants. When it strikes, it is almost always fatal.

Asian elephants once lived widely across Asia, but their numbers have plummeted and they are now restricted to a fraction of their former range in the wild.

Less than 40,000 remain.

Devastated by habitat loss, poaching, disease and direct conflict with humans, the species is officially listed as endangered.

The zoo's scientists are leading the global campaign to find a cure.

The public donations, a major partnership between the zoo and The University of Surrey, and an international collaboration of conservationists have helped to make progress in the hunt for a solution to the crisis - but at the moment a cure to the virus remains elusive.

Katie hopes her year of personal challenges will increase awareness of the problem conservationists are facing, and generate additional resources towards the mission.

She said: "Here at the zoo, our elephant family has, tragically, suffered losses to EEHV. This terrible virus has claimed the lives of young elephants in the herd, which is devastating.

"We're caring for the species day in, day out as part of the conservation breeding programme.

"Our teams are protecting the species from human elephant conflict in the wild in India.

"Our scientists are leading the global search for a cure to the EEHV virus.

"Despite all this, as it stands, Asian elephants are still endangered. So I want to do more.

"We can all do our bit as individuals. Fundraising challenges like this are a great way that we can act for wildlife in our spare time.

"Initially I signed up to complete the half Ironman, but I kept thinking of more challenges I could do.

"Eventually, I thought I’d just devote my whole year to it!"

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Assam: Wild elephants go on rampage in Baksa villages

A herd of wild elephants went on a rampage and left behind a trail of destruction at Nagrijuli area in Baksa district of Assam on Wednesday night. The wild tuskers created terror at several villages falling under the Nagrijuli Development Block in the said district.

It is reported that elephant habitats are shrinking along the Indo-Bhutan border due to continuous human encroachment thus forcing them to come out of their natural habitats in search of food and, in the process, triggering conflict with the locals.

The said group of wild elephants entered Nagrijuli Tea Estate on Wednesday night and sat along the bank of Bornadi River. In search of food, the marauding tuskers entered Line No 6 and 8 of Nagrijuli Tea Estate and crushed the houses of Birshi Munda, Apurba Dundi, Amrit Bagh, Albish and Dilkumar. Another herd of wild pachyderms entered the nearby Dongargao village and smashed the houses of Uttam Biswas and Gudum Munda and broke the shops of Santosh Rai and Boistav Rai.

The marauding tuskers ate whatever food was left inside the houses and the shops and caused huge loss of property. The helpless villagers tried their best to chase away the wild elephants, but in vain. The villagers as well as the labourers of Nagrijuli Tea Estate stayed awake the whole night till the group of wild elephants left for the jungles at dawn.

The villagers have demanded that the State Government and the concerned authorities should take necessary steps to stop human-elephant conflict but, wildlife activists say that human encroachment in the forests of Northeast India have forced elephants out of their habitats thus triggering the said situation. Elephants rampage through villages in search of food as their habitats are being overtaken by people, say conservationists.

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Human-Elephant Conflict in Wokha district on rise

Wokha, July 12 (MExN): As per report received from the District Forest Officer (DFO) Wokha, Zuthunglo Patton IFS, Human-Elephant Conflict in Wokha district is on the rise and increasing year by year.

According to a DIPR report, as per the nationwide Synchronized Elephant Population Estimation 2017 Report by India’s Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Nagaland has an elephant population of 446 and elephant density/km² of 0.45 which is the second highest density/km² after Karnataka.

Due to increasing reports of incidences of Human-Elephant Conflict, a joint assessment was carried out in April 2018 by the District Level Committee for assessment of the loss of human life, domestic animals, crops and properties by wild animals for compensation in the District.

The assessment showed that this year alone, 165 families belonging to eight villages of New Changsu, Ekhoyan, Old and New Riphyim, Wokha village, New Wokha, Seleku and Koio were badly affected by the presence of elephants in these areas and fields, the report informed.

The crops or property damaged were paddy, banana, pineapple, orange, sugarcane, vegetables, yongchak, betel nut, rubber, papaya, jackfruit, granary, farm huts, piggery, poultry, etc. amounting to more than Rs. 17 (Seventeen) lakh which could only be partially reimbursed by the wildlife wing of the Forest Department this year.

The most recent reports of Human-Elephant Conflict in the month of June and July 2018 is from the villages of Old Riphyim, New Riphyim, Old Changsu and Mungya affecting 97 farmers and the GMS building at Mungya which have been verified by the Department, it added. The crops and property damaged included paddy fields, vegetables, banana, farm huts, rubber, etc.

The report stated that with an ever-increasing human population leading to increasing fragmentation of habitat for the elephants, incidences of human injury or deaths, crop raids, poaching/hunting of elephants will only increase.

Wokha District has a total geographical of only 1628 sq. km and supports a staggering 150-180 number of elephants all over the district. It not only indicates a bleak future for the farmers and rubber cultivators but also for the survival of these heritage animals in Wokha unless these issues are seriously addressed, it added.

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Assam: Morning walker trampled to death by elephant herd in Digboi

A women was trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants at Muliabari housing area in Digboi of upper Assam‘s Tinsukia district on Sunday morning. Digboi is 32.37 km from Tinsukia town. The woman was identified as Kumari Rana, 65, of Digboi town.

Sources said the women went out for morning walk at 4.30 am and suddenly fall on a herd of wild elephants which comes out from Upper Dehing reserve forest east block. The wild heard trampled her to death. The deceased woman is a resident of Digboi town and few days ago she came to her daughter’s house at Muliabari housing area.

Digboi forest ranger, Parineeta Singh on Sunday said the local resident informed them about the incident and they rushed to the area and found that the women was trampled to death by a heard of wild elephant.

“The elephants heard frequently seen in the Oil field area which falls under Upper Dehing reserve forest east block. The herd comes into the area in search of food. We sent the body for post mortem examination and an immediate compensation of Rs 50,000 has been given to the family members of her family. After verifying post mortem reports and other documents Rs 4 lakh will be handed over to her family as compensation,” Singh added.

Man-elephant conflict has been rising tremendously in the upper Assam region and this is the sixth death reported from this region.

An source said a heard of elephants frequently comes out from Upper Dehing reserve forest east block in search of food and entered into the human habitation. In Assam every year many people lost their life in elephant attack. On May 12, Phulmoti Pegu was trampled to death by a heard of elephants at Demow in Sivsagar district.

Corridor block compounds man-elephant conflict on border

GUWAHATI: Disruption of traditional elephant corridors and decreasing access to food has compounded the conflict between humans and elephants in areas along and near the Assam-Meghalaya border, forest officials here say.
“A majority of the wild elephants who cross over to the Goalpara forest division near the border are originally from Garo Hills, and with the traditional/regular routes taken by the herds blocked of late because of erection of electric fences in Garo Hills, the elephants have literally no option but to take a detour,” a senior official from the Assam forest department told The Shillong Times on Saturday.
On Friday, a herd of 28 wild elephants had reportedly damaged several houses and destroyed crops in the Dhekiabari area in Krishnai (Goalpara district) near the Assam-Meghalaya border. However, there was no casualty or injury caused to any person.
Forest sources say that unlike Rani and Garbhanga under Guwahati wildlife division, which has a large forest area facilitating better movement of elephant herds, the reserved forests in Goalpara division are smaller and scattered.
“The elephants in these 30 to 40 scattered reserved forests earlier used to migrate to Bangladesh but now they are confined to the border areas of Assam and Meghalaya. Also, most villagers in Goalpara district are taking up large-scale rubber plantation and hence access to food for these marauding elephants has become limited. So, these herds resort to destroying houses and granaries in search of food,” the forest official said.
The herds, he said, generally raid human habitation in search of food during winter. “But of late, there is an apparent deviation and we are noticing a growing trend of elephants raiding human habitation in other seasons as well,” the forest official said.
According to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (year ended March 31, 2017), close to 10,000 cases of human-elephant conflicts have been reported from Meghalaya in the past five years.
Twenty five persons died, 22 injured and about 4,009 hectares of cropland damaged in such conflicts between 2012 and 2017.
Meghalaya is home to around 1,800 elephants with Garo Hills region alone (including Balpakram National Park), accounting for about two-thirds of such conflicts, the CAG report said.


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Man-elephant conflicts in Meghalaya claimed 25 lives in 5 yrs

Shillong: Nearly 10,000 cases of conflicts between humans and elephants have been reported from Meghalaya in the past five years, claiming the lives of 25 people and causing widespread damage to crops, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has said.

The state is home to around 1,800 elephants and the Garo Hills region itself accounts for approximately two-thirds of such conflicts, said the CAG report for the year ended March 31, 2017, recently tabled by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in the Assembly. “Over 9,622 cases of human-elephant conflicts (HEC) were registered with the forest department, resulting in death of 25 persons, injury to 22 persons and damage of crops in about 4,009 ha (hectare) area,” it said.

The CAG report, covering the period between 2012 and 2017, stated that over 6,500 cases were registered in the Garo Hills region, including the Balpakram National Park. Around 2,500 cases were reported from the Khasi Hills region. An amount of Rs 4.41 crore was paid as ex-gratia payment to villagers for loss of life, damage to properties and agricultural crops, it said.


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Four of family trampled to death by elephants in Chhattisgarh

Raigarh, Apr 28 Four members of a family, including two minor girls, were today trampled to death by a herd of wild"elephants"in Dharamjaigarh forest division in Chhattigsarh"s Raigarh district, forest officials said.

The incident took place this evening near Koilar village when the victims were returning after picking up minor forest produce, a local official said.

The deceased were identified as Netram (50), Manglai (45), Aarti (7) and another minor girl Ritu, all belonging to the same family residing in Koilar, he said.

A forest official said that a herd of 26 elephants had been spotted in the area several times in the past few days.

Further details of the incident were not immediately known, he said, adding that a team had been rushed to the spot to evacuate the bodies from the forest.

He informed that forest ground staff had been directed to provide Rs 25,000 per deceased to their kin.

Northern Chhattisgarh, a heavily forested part of the state, comprising Surguja, Korba, Raigarh, Jashpur and Korea districts, is notorious for human"elephant"conflicts, said officials.


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Elephant attacks in Odisha district kill 6

Six persons, including one woman, have been killed by marauding elephants in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district since April 10. Among them is a 70-year-old attacked on Saturday morning, when she had gone out to answer nature’s call, in the Kaurianpal village of the Sadar range.

Sources said that affected villagers in the interior pockets are turning restless as human casualties rise. “The Sadar range of Dhenkanal district is now the most elephant conflict-prone area in the State, probably in the country. This area is home to over 25 elephants, with another group of over 40 elephants coming in intermittently from adjoining ranges,” said Biswajit Mohanty, an environmentalist.

There were 10 elephant-human encounters in which four persons were killed and eight were injured in April 2017 in this range.

“Elephants are disturbed due to obstructions such as the Rengali irrigation canal network, the National Highway... and the frequent movement of trucks in and out of industries and quarries. No sincere effort is being taken by the State Forest Department to inform people about the movement of elephants in advance,” alleged Mr. Mohanty.

According to Ranjit Patnaik, a wildlife researcher, in 2017, the human-elephant encounters in Odisha touched a record high of 120, and 85 people were killed by elephants.

“As far as the Dhenkanal district is concerned, 53 elephants have died in the past four years while 61 persons have been killed by jumbos. Human-elephant encounters are increasing sharply in the district,” said Mr. Patnaik.

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Man trampled to death by elephant near Kotagiri

A 43-year-old farmer was trampled to death by an elephant near Kotagiri, some 28 Kms from here today, police said. Mahalingam was returning home around 5.30 PM, when an elephant suddenly appeared from behind the bush and attacked him, resulting in his death, they said.

Some estate workers, who noticed the body informed the police and forest department officials, they added.

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Karnataka: A jumbo conflict zone

On World Wildlife Day, the state lost Forest Officer S Manikandan, who was Field Director of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, after a wild elephant attacked him when he had gone to the area to assess damage caused by a mild fire.

This was just the latest and most high-profile of deaths in a state that is reeling with violent confrontations with elephants. In the last three years, at least 158 people have been killed by elephants in the state. Across India, from 16 states, 1,557 have died since 2014 and in 2017-18 (up to November), 201 people died, of which nine were from Karnataka.

Dinesh Holla, convener of Sahyadri Sanchaya, told BM, “I have been observing the Western Ghat region for several years. Due to an increase in forest encroachment, the elephant corridors are shrinking. The other reason for shrinking elephant corridors are the mafias that are into mining, hydel power plants and resorts. When the elephant does not have sufficient place to move around in its corridor, they come to the villages. Villagers have their own techniques to chase elephants away.

This is when the elephant is helpless, it has nowhere to go and when hungry and angry attacks humans.” Holla said the state government has failed to implement the Forest Act. “Acres of forest land have been encroached upon. The government only talks about compensation for attacks,” he said.

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Assam’s jumbo problem: Man-animal conflict takes a huge toll

Guwahati, March 8 (IANS) With the deaths of over a hundred elephants in a year due to unnatural reasons like being hit by trains and electrocution, followed by death of close to another hundred human beings in conflict with elephants in a year, Assam is seemingly looking at a jumbo problem with no immediate solution in sight.

While the Assam forest department has claimed to have taken several steps, including formation of local coordination committees in districts to monitor the movement of wild elephants, and created elephant depredation squads, a solution is seemingly far from sight.

“We are concerned about the deaths of wild elephants as well as humans due to the conflict. Steps are being taken by the department to stop the menace of human-elephant conflict as well as to stop other elephant deaths in the state,” Assam Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma said.

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55 year old labour died of elephant attack

A 55 year old labourer was killed in an elephant attack Chinnaiah Koti coffee estate near Siddapura on Friday evening.

Police said here on Saturday that the victim has been identified as Rudrappa native of Arakalagudu in Hassan district. He was working in the coffee estate for a long time. The elephant suddenly appeared from the bushes and fatally attacked him when he was returning home from a shop.

Assistant Conservator of Forests Sripathi and other forest officers visited the spot. Over 75 people have died in the last 10 years and nearly 98 injured in the elephant attacks. According to officials last year alone saw 13 fatal attacks by elephantss .

Janatadal (S) party district President Sanketh Pooviah visited the hospital and alleged the state government has failed to protect the both human beings and crops in elephant attacks in the kodagu district . He urged the government for a suitable compensation for the labourer since he was the only bread winner of the family.

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Elephants trample a youth to death in Srikakulam

Tension has gripped the Kothuru Mandal in Srikakulam district as a 32-year-old man got killed by a herd of elephants near Ponnaturu village. The victim, Tampitaguda Kumar, was trampled to death on Saturday night by a couple of elephants that were roaming in the area it has been reported. Kumar’s dead body was discovered in the early hours of Sunday.

Local people claim that the elephants have been coming to the city in search of food and water during the summer and are killing people. With Saturday’s event proving to be the 23rd case in the recent past, the locals are petrified and have asked the local officials and concerned departments to alert them on the movement of the elephants. It has also been learned that the villagers had a heated argument with the officials on Sunday, for allegedly neglecting their plea to send the tuskers to a zoological park. The officials, on the other hand, said that the matter was in Supreme Court and transferring the animals immediately wasn’t easy.

The rise in temperatures is being cited as one of the major reasons why the jumbos have started causing a ruckus in the area. 11 forests are known to be spotted in the area, with seven of them being new in the area, a senior official told TOI.

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Elephant tramples 26-yr-old woman to death in Erode

Erode: A 26-year-old woman was trampled to death by an elephant in the forests of Sathyamangalam here on Tuesday night.

The victim was identified as Rajamani, of Kothanapuram near Kermalam. She, along with her husband Shivanna, 30, and daughters Abhi, 8, and Sindhu, 6, was heading to their village through the forest when the elephant attacked her.


“Rajamani and her family were returning from their relative’s house at Kollegal after attending a temple festival. Since they missed the last bus to their village, they started walking through a jungle path. When they reached Pailur Kalayankovil, an elephant started chasing them. Shivanna lifted both their daughters and started running. Rajamani followed him. However, the elephant trampled her,” the police said.

Shivanna went to the village and informed the villagers, who alerted the forest authorities. Soon, forest staff, along with the villagers, rushed to the spot and found Rajamani battling for life. She was rushed to the hospital, but died on the way.

Two days ago, an elephant had attacked a 54-year-old forester in the same locality at Kermalam. The elephant tossed over Rasaiah, 54, but didn’t attack him further. Rasaiha is undergoing treatment at Sathyamangalam government hospital.

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Man-jumbo conflict rises in Assam

Guwahati: Wild elephants have trampled to death 149 people and damaged 1,880 hectares of crops in Assam in the past two years.

Environment and forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma told the Assembly on Thursday that 92 people died and 56 were injured in 2016-17 while 57 died and 19 were injured in 2017-18 in man-elephant conflict in the state.

Replying to a question by BJP legislator Ranoj Pegu, Brahma said elephants destroyed 634.6 hectares of agricultural land, affecting 1,208 families, in 2016-17. The figure rose to 1,246.1 hectares, affecting 2,194 families, in 2017-18. Altogether 3,546 houses - 1,752 in 2016-17 and 1,794 in 2017-18 - were damaged because of elephant depredation.

Two elephants were poisoned to death and one died of deliberate electrocution in 2016-17 while eight died of poisoning the next year, she said.

Pegu expressed concern over the man-elephant conflict that, he said, had assumed serious proportions in Dhemaji, Majuli, Jorhat, Golaghat, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.

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Help of Karnataka staff sought for taming of wild elephants in

Mumbai, Mar 16 (PTI) Admitting that wild elephants were causing damage to crops and human life in Kolhapur district in Maharashtra, the state government today said that assistance of trained people�from Karnataka has been sought to tame and train such tuskers.

Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar made the announcement in the state Legislative Assembly during a debate on the issue raised through calling attention notice moved by NCP member Sandhya Kupekar and others.

Mungantiwar said the authorities in Karnataka have conveyed that they would be able to spare their trained staff only after May-June.

"They have said they are busy tackling wild elephants in their areas now and hence we would have to wait till then," the minister said.

NCP MLA Jayant Patil suggested that the government sends its forest personnel to Karnataka and get training in handling of wild elephants.

The minister said the suggestion would be considered.

Mungantiwar also announced setting up of a committee comprising Kupekar, Shiv Senas Prakash Abitkar and the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) to suggest recommendations to tackle the menace of wild elephants and bisons.

"We expect the committee to give their recommendations in a months time," he said.

During the discussion, Ambitkar suggested setting up of a task force to deal with the menace of wild elephants.

He pointed out that Radhanagari, Bhudargad, Ajara talukas are near the forest areas and hence loss of life and crops due to wild elephants is more.

Mungantiwar said till March 8 (2018), the government received 2,025 claims of crop loss due to wild bisons and 393 cases of crop loss due to wild elephants.The farmers concerned have been given a compensation of Rs 126.47 lakh so far, he said adding, "In the last ten years, 20 persons died in the attacks by wild elephants and compensation of Rs 56.5 lakh has been given to their kin."

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Example TitleRampaging elephant crushes man to death as terrified crowd flees during Indian religious festival

A man has been killed by an elephant at a religious festival in Kerala, India, after the animal suddenly ran rampage during a parade.

Graphic video footage shows the moment the elephant throws four people off its back, and gores and tramples its handler to death.

The angry bull elephant is seen tossing the dead body around on its tusks, before turning on another bull, as crowds of men, women and children flee for their lives.

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Gang smuggling sambar horns nabbed in Belagavi

Belagavi: A special investigation team of the CCB has nabbed five people allegedly involved in smuggling horns of sambar weighing 11.25kg at Belagundi village in Belagavi taluk.
The accused include three people who killed the endangered species and collected their horns with an intention to sell them in the international market. Nagesh Madar, 23, Ramachandra Dalavi, 26, residents of Manaturga village in Khanapur taluk, and Ravindra Kolkar, 27, of Hadalaga, polished the horns till they turned white to cheat buyers, saying that they are elephant tusks. Prospective buyers Parashram Nilajkar, 23, and Aman Kanabargi, 20, of Chapgaon were also arrested, said police commissioner D C Rajappa.

Rajappa formed a team comprising CCB inspector Chandrakant LT to conduct the raid on Tuesday under the guidance of Seema Latkar, DCP (law and order) and Mahaning Nandgavi, DCP (crime and traffic).

A motorcycle worth Rs 25,000 was also recovered during the raid.

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2 more killed as tuskers rage on

Davanagere: Two more farmers were killed and another two injured in an elephant attack in Channagiri taluk of Davanagere district on Friday. The elephants have killed four farmers in the last five days. The deceased are Eshwar Naik, 65, and Ramesh, 55, residents of Hosanagar under Basavapatna police station limits in Channagiri taluk.

Eshwar Naik was killed on the spot when the tusker attacked him while he was working in his field. Ramesh succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Shivamogga.

An injured Ganesh from Hosanagar was rushed to SS High-tech Hospital in Davanagere where he was operated upon. He is critical.

Ganesh has a spinal injury, his kidneys have been damaged and is on ventilator, said Dr Kalappanavar, the hospital director. Hanumantha Naik who sustained minor injuries is being treated at Davanagere District Hospital.

The two tuskers also damaged two motorbikes parked on the road side, killed a calf, and injured two buffaloes in a farm house.

The tuskers have separated and wandered off in different directions making the task of forest officials waiting to catch them more difficult, said Channagiri RFO Veeresh Naik. The tuskers travelled through the jungles of Tyavanagi, Kashipura, Doddaghatta, Hosur, Sulekeregudda, before stationing themselves at Hosanagar which has a lot of standing crops, the RFO added.

"We have deployed a drone to trace their movements. Revenue, police and forest officials are monitoring the movement of tuskers, he added. Two separate task force groups are monitoring the Basavapatna side and another one in Channagiri side to locate the tuskers," he added.

The RFO hoped the tuskers will enter Bhadra sanctuary after their trek through Mavinakatte and Joladalugudda forests.

The public have been advised not to harass or make loud noises which can enrage the elephants.

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Man-elephant conflict continues to pose grave threat in Udalguri

Will the human-elephant conflict ever be resolved in the Indo-Bhutan border area in Udalguri district administered by the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC)? Yes, it seems so.

 The consistent efforts of nature-loving organizations, wildlife activist and a few government agencies have failed to reduce crop depredation loss and injury and death of human beings as well as the innocent wild elephants, which has made people living around wildlife habitats more hostile towards conservation. As a consequence, there has been a constant increase in the death of elephants as well as humans. In Dhansiri division of Udalguri alone, eight elephants were killed in 2012-13, 10 in 2013-14 and 7 in 2014-15, 7 in 2016 and 7 in the 2017 till date against lost of 21 human lives and 12 injury in 2015-16, 9 human lives and 12 injuries in 2016 and 5 human lives in 2017 till date.

What adds to the woes of the families of the victims is getting the ex-gratia compensation paid by the Assam Forest Department for loss of life and crops. The process of getting the names enrolled by visiting forest offices is cumbersome and sometimes officers also have to be bribed.

The efforts of wildlife activists like Nabajyoti Baruah have been praiseworthy. He has relentlessly volunteered to mitigate the man-elephant conflict in the district for the past decade. Baruah along with another nature lover Arif Khan of Garuajhar offered two tractors of banana plants to a herd of nearly 100 wild elephants which had been taking shelter in and around Hattigarh TE of Udalguri recently. Baruah also distributed a number of high power torchlights to keep a vigil on wild elephants to villagers of 2 No. Amjuli,Hattigarh, 2 No. Satghoria and forest officials of Panery Beat Office on Tuesday.

He has been voluntarily working towards mitigating the man-elephant conflict and has also been conferred the C Subramaniam Award for Community Leadership by the National Foundation for India (NFI) under the Ministry of Security and Justice of Government of India  for 2016-17 on March 2, 2017.  Baruah has been also constructing watch-towers in the conflict-zone villages.

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