Around a decade and a half years ago, only one-and-a-half year old wild elephant baby had deviated and lost family. She was rescued from an ‘injured’ condition from a pit at a village in Ichagarh in Seraikela Kharsawan district and named Rajni by the state forest personnel.This was probably in 2009-10.

Sixteen years down the line, Rajni, rehabilitated at Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, near Jamshedpur in East Singhum district of Jharkhand, has become a centre of attraction for visitors.

Notably, the state forest department officials led by Jamshedpur Divisional Forest Officer Saba Alam Ansari marked the celebration of 16 th birthday of Rajni to mark the launch of the Abua Hathi App on October 7.

The Wild Life Week is observed annually to highlight the importance of animal conservation.

This time Rajni was greeted by scores of students, forest personnel and people on her birthday celebrations marked by cutting a 16-pound eggless cake.

Incidentally, Rajini’s birthday was celebrated every year on October 7. This year, however, birthday of rescued Rajni was celebrated with a specific objective - to create awareness among local villagers about man-elephant conflict and ways to mitigate it through the above Abua Hathi App. 

For this eco-friendly initiative event, DFO Mr Khan mobilised school students of nearby villages, village heads, Eco Vikas Samity , members of nearby villages in Saherbera, Asanboni and Pata and made them participate in Rajni’s birth day celebration 2025.

Mr Khan said,the villagers were briefed about the launch of an app named 'Abua Hathi'.

The Abua Hathi app helps villagers residing in 5 km radius of a wild elephant in a particular region to get an SMS alert on their mobile about the animal's presence. This app thereby helps prevent man-elephant conflict, think innovative DFO Mr.Khan.

Notably, "Abua Hathi App" is a new mobile application developed by the Government of Jharkhand to reduce human-elephant conflict by enabling real-time elephant tracking, public alerts, and facilitating compensation claims for property damage caused by elephants. 

The app serves as a direct communication channel, sending messages and phone calls to people about elephant movements and helping villagers apply for government compensation for losses incurred from elephant attacks. 

*Key Features and Functionality

• Elephant Tracking: The app provides real-time tracking of elephants to help monitor their movements and predict potential conflicts.
• Public Alerts: It issues early warnings and alerts to villagers and communities about the presence of elephants in proximity to human settlements, allowing them to take precautions.
• Compensation for Property Damage: Villagers can use the app to submit applications for government compensation for any damage to property or crops caused by elephant herds.
• Communication Channel: It acts as a bridge between villagers, forest officials, and other relevant authorities, enabling quick reporting and response to incidents. 

Purpose and Impact

• Human-Elephant Coexistence: The primary goal of the Abua Hathi App is to foster coexistence and reduce conflicts that lead to injuries and fatalities for both humans and elephants.
• Protection of Elephants: By preventing human-elephant conflict, the app helps protect elephants by reducing reasons for aggressive interactions.
• Community Empowerment: It empowers local communities to stay informed and take necessary actions to avoid dangerous encounters with wild elephants.

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