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Article History

Received: 1 July 2025

Accepted: 1 March 2026

First Online: 17 March 2026

Declarations

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: This study was conducted as part of the first author’s Master’s degree dissertation at Gauhati University, India, and was reviewed by the Academic, Research, and Ethics Committee of the Department of Geography, Gauhati University. In accordance with the departmental and university policy governing low-risk, non-interventional, anonymised social science research, the committee formally confirmed that no separate written ethics approval or reference number was required for this study. This confirmation was provided during the dissertation review process conducted in 2019, under the university’s postgraduate research regulations. The study involved no experimental intervention and no collection of personally identifiable, sensitive, or clinical information. All respondents were informed about the purpose, scope, and voluntary nature of the study prior to participation. Verbal informed consent was obtained from each participant before the commencement of interviews, in line with institutional guidelines for field-based social research. Participants were free to decline participation or to skip any question without any consequence. Anonymity and confidentiality were strictly maintained throughout the research process. No names, addresses, or identifying personal information were recorded at any stage, and all data were used solely for academic and research purposes in compliance with Gauhati University’s ethical guidelines.

: Informed consent to participate and to publish anonymized data was obtained from all participants prior to the completion of the survey and no data was collected from individuals under the age of 18.

: The authors declare no competing interests.