Seijosa, Pakke Kessang,19th Jan 2020: 26 families ailing from elephant crop depredation during the year 2019 were provided with 2600 hundred Kgs of rice during the Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival, Seijosa, Pakke Kessang. Every family received 100 Kgs of rice, almost double the weight earlier provided under the “Grain for Grain” one of WTI’s numerous Rapid Action Projects (RAP), Grain for Grain is supported by David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department.

“The government gives very less about Rs 2000/- to Rs 3000/- as relief to the victims, so the process of giving rice is a better alternative, as money can be spent very irresponsibly and be misused but the rice will at least feed the family for months,” said the DFO and Field Director of Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Forest department, Sri Tana Tapi.

The scheme was created by WTI to provide some sort of relief to the farmers affected by Elephant crop depredation. It helps reduce instances of retaliation against the elephants and also soothe the farmer’s torment to a degree. Founded in 2005, this project also finds mention in the ‘ Gajah’ report prepared by the Elephant Task Force in 2010. Since it’s launch, it has benefitted hundreds of households around Pakke TR.

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The Pakke Paga Hornbill festival held on 18th,19th and 20th Jan is named after the Great Hornbill in the local language.

Pakke TR was declared a Tiger reserve in 2002 and the Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival is a celebration of community conservation efforts and encourages green living, culture, and conservation in and around the reserve.

“ Earlier it was not like this, we hardly used to get anything before. But this is a step forward and we hope this goes on. We never hurt the elephants who eat our crops, what to do even they feel hunger, but at least this time we are getting something.” Said Kamu Aja one of the beneficiaries of the Grain for Grain Project.

“Grain for Grain is the first fruit of the progress. You are giving us 100 kgs of rice so that at least for some months the families won’t have a problem. If this carries on in the future more and more wild animals will be saved. Though it is a very small portion of the damage we sustained, it’s a good start, we thank all the parties involved in this process.” Said Tayung Kino, emphasized another beneficiary.

This year Grain for grain covered 9 villages from the Pakke Kasang district namely – Niti Darlong, Mobuso-1, Upper Sejousa, Bali Basti, Naksha Parbat, Dalong, New Dissing, Lasam Pathe, and A/2 Block. The Festival remains an ideal venue for grain distribution as it’s an important community event of the local community. WTI even made sure that the beneficiaries in remote Naksha Parbat and New Dissing too benefited from this project.

The grain was distributed By the DFO and Field Director Pakke TR Sri Taana Tapi, with the WTI team present in Seijosa.