HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Oct 26: Three stretches of solar-powered fence that were installed for mitigation of human elephant conflict (HEC) and facilitating coexistence of man and elephant were formally inaugurated on Saturday.
Later on it was handed over to local community-based solar fence management committees in three villages under Rongjuli Forest Range of Goalpara District of Assam recently.
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These stretches of solar fence were, in fact, installed two months ago with community participation in the process at Ganeshpara 2 km, Borjuli 1.5 km and Bainpara 2 km villages under Rongjuli Forest Range by biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak with support of Goalpara Forest Division and in collaboration with local communities.
The Range Officer of Rongjuli Khalilur Rahman inaugurated all the three stretches of solar fence on October 18 last in three different programmes held at Bainpara, Ganeshpara and Borjuli.
The stretches of solar fence were then handed over to the respective fence management committees of Bainpara, Ganeshpara and Borjuli through signing of the necessary MoUs.
Pradeep Daimary of Chesapani moderated all the three programmes in presence of Aaranyak team comprising Anjan Baruah, Swapan Das and Ripunjoy Nath.
These three stretches of solar fences will protect around 39 households of Borjuli, Bainpara and Ganeshpara villages. It may be noted that almost 100 bighas of croplands have been damaged by wild elephants in Greater Chesapani area including Borjuli, Bainpar and Ganeshpara village in the last three years.
Around 15 persons died due to HEC in different adjacent villages of this area till date since the area has become affected by HEC. Three of them died in the last three years.
Around 20 houses were damaged in the area by wild elephants in the last 10 years. So far, 45.61 kilometres of solar-powered fence have been installed at the initiative of Aaranyak in Goalpara district of Assam around 20 HEC-affected villages and one school with support from multiple sponsors including Goalpara Forest Division and US Fish and Wildlife Service.
It may be noted that the type of electricity called Direct Current (DC) that powers a solar fence meant for mitigation of Human elephant conflict (HEC), is not lethal. This DC current is produced by a solar-charged battery.
