Guwahati, April 21: As part of a recent initiative aimed at empowering rural homestays within the Kaziranga–Karbi Anglong Landscape of Assam, premier biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org) facilitated the distribution of solar inverters to five rural homestays of the landscape.

The distribution was carried out as part of Aaranyak’s ongoing efforts to promote participatory Natural Resource Management (NRM) and strengthen sustainable livelihoods in ecologically sensitive areas.

The homestays are namely -- Margaret Homestay, Preity Homestay, Anjana Homestay, Kareng Homestay, and Charne Homestay; located in Kohora, Karbi Anglong, within the Kaziranga–Karbi Anglong Landscape.

Sustainable ecotourism, which is central to this effort, is a form of nature-based tourism that provides economic and social benefits to local communities while minimising the negative impact of tourism on the natural and cultural resources of the region.

Acclaimed actor and filmmaker Nandita Das participated in the initial distribution of one of the inverters during her recent visit to Kaziranga. Her engagement brought encouraging visibility to grassroots sustainability initiatives and reinforced the importance of community-led conservation tourism models.

One of the beneficiaries named Kareng Rongpipi, owner of Kareng Homestay said, “We often faced power outages that affects our guests’ comfort. With the solar inverter, we now feel more confident of running our homestay and offering a better experience to visitors.”

With reliable, clean energy, women can take up more entrepreneurial roles, gain financial independence, and contribute more actively to sustainable tourism and community development. At the same time, switching to solar power reduces reliance on fossil fuels and lowers carbon emissions, making it an eco-friendly energy choice. It provides renewable electricity without polluting air or water, which is especially important in ecologically sensitive landscapes like Kaziranga–Karbi Anglong.

There are currently 10 community-managed homestays operated by members of the Kindulangso Self-Help Group (SHG) and supported by Aaranyak to promote eco-cultural tourism through the Journey for Learning (J4L) initiative. This initiative is rooted in the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Landscape.

Journey for Learning (J4L) is a programme conceptualised and implemented by Aaranyak in collaboration with local communities. It is built on the principles of responsible tourism and seeks to promote experiential learning from nature and indigenous knowledge systems. The programme is active in the Kohora River Basin villages of Karbi Anglong near Kaziranga National Park, the Bhuyanpara Range of Manas National Park in Baksa district and the Bhairabkunda region of Udalguri district.

“Aaranyak is committed towards conservation of biodiversity, ecosystem and supporting the indigenous communities residing in Kaziranga- Karbi Anglong Landscape and Manas Landscape through promotion of Alternative and Sustainable Livelihoods activities, education and awareness. The initiative is supported by IUCN - Kfw and US Fish and Wildlife Service.”, says Aaranyak through a press statement.