Wildlife activist from Boro community selected for BKHM awards

Dimapur, July 20 (EMN): Wildlife activist Rajen Boro from Udalguri District in Assam has been selected for the 1st Bijoy Krishna Handique Memorial Award (BKHMA) for leadership in Wildlife Conservation, instituted by Development Foundation of Assam (DFA) from this year. A press note by Geetartha Darshan Barua stated the selection panel constituted by DFA decided to confer the award to Boro in view of his significant role in mitigating human elephant conflict through community mobilisation, collaboration with local youth, administration and research institutions in various parts of Udalguri District particularly in the Bhutiachang area over nearly two decades. The panel has also recognised his efforts towards introducing innovative measures to handle this conflict and safeguarding livelihoods of the community at critical times. It may be mentioned that Udalguri district has been vulnerable to man elephant conflict resulting in the loss of 89 people and 40 wild elephants in the last seven years which is among the highest in Asia for a single district. The award carries a trophy, citation and a cash entitlement of Rupees one lakh. It will be conferred at a ceremony at ITA Machkhowa, Guwahati on 30th July, 2017 commemorating the second death anniversary of former Union Minister, B.K Handique, release added.