The Haati App has been developed by Aaranyak, a biodiversity conservation organization based in Northeast India. The primary goal of the app is to act as an early warning system, alerting residents about the presence of wild elephants in the vicinity of human settlements.
The app was officially launched by Assam minister Nandita Gorlosa in Guwahati.
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The primary cause of the increasing human-elephant conflict in Assam is the shrinking of elephant habitats. Rapid urbanization, deforestation and agricultural expansion have reduced the natural living spaces of elephants.
Elephants in Assam traditionally migrate through designated corridors. However, human encroachment on these corridors has disrupted their natural movement, forcing elephants into close proximity with human settlements leading to conflict.
Between 2020 and 2024, encounters with wild elephants have resulted in the deaths of 1,701 people across India. Assam with its large elephant population is a contributor to this statistic.
The Haati app has been developed as a tool to reduce human-elephant conflicts by providing an early warning system to alert people when wild elephants are nearby.
The Haati app was developed by Aaranyak, a biodiversity organization based in Northeast India with support from the SBI Foundation. It was officially launched on August 10, 2024.
The feature of the Haati app is its ability to serve as an early warning system. It alerts users in real-time when wild elephants are detected in the vicinity of human settlements allowing them to take necessary precautions and avoid danger.
The Haati app includes a feature where victims or their families can fill out an ex gratia application form. This form is used to apply for compensation from the government in cases of injury or death caused by elephant attacks.
Aaranyak will assist victims by submitting the filled-up ex gratia application forms to the relevant forest division. This feature is designed to complement the efforts of the Assam Forest Department in providing timely compensation to victims.
Alongside the Haati app Aaranyak has introduced a handbook on solar-powered fences. This handbook was written in Assamese, provides detailed guidance on the installation, management and maintenance of solar fences, which have proven to be an effective tool in keeping elephants away from human settlements.
The creation of the solar fence handbook was supported by the British Asian Trust and the Darwin Initiative.
Assam boasts the second-largest population of elephants in India, with over 5,700 elephants, following Karnataka, which has approximately 6,049 elephants.
Human-elephant conflict in Assam has led to a huge number of deaths on both sides. Annually, the conflict results in an average of 70 human deaths and 80 elephant fatalities.
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The Haati app is designed to provide real-time alerts about the presence of elephants near human settlements.
This system enables people to take precautionary measures such as avoiding certain areas, to prevent dangerous encounters.
The Haati app includes a form that allows victims or their families to apply for compensation from the local government in the event of injury or death caused by elephant attacks.
The Haati app also serves as an educational tool, raising awareness about the importance of coexistence between humans and elephants and providing information on how to avoid conflict situations.
Aaranyak has introduced a handbook on solar-powered fences. These fences are designed to deter elephants from entering human settlements.
Between 2019 and 2024, human fatalities due to elephant encounters remained consistently high with annual deaths ranging from 63 to 91.
Over 1,330 elephants died between 2001 and 2022 in Assam with only 509 of these deaths attributed to natural causes.
The remainder were due to poaching, electrocution and poisoning. The human-elephant conflict has also resulted in economic losses.
The state government has paid over ₹9 crore in compensation to those affected by the conflict, covering losses of property, crops and lives.
Aaranyak’s Elephant Research and Conservation Division (ERCD) has been instrumental in developing the Haati App and other conservation tools.
Dr. Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, who leads the ERCD, addressed the urgent need to address the conflict through innovative solutions like the Haati App.
The Haati app and the solar fence initiative represent steps toward protecting the endangered Asian elephant population in India.
According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), less than 50,000 Asian elephants remain in the wild in India and efforts like these are crucial for their conservation.
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