Guwahati: A collaborative effort between WWF and biodiversity conservation body Aaranyak has protected over 20 hectares of ‘ready-to-be-harvested’ paddy in the Maliata area near Mirza, Kamrup district, Assam. This was achieved by installing a seasonal single-wire solar-powered fence.
Dr. Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, a Senior Scientist at Aaranyak, explained, “The seasonal solar fence is a new mechanism to safeguard standing paddy in areas prone to human-elephant conflict (HEC). These fences are removed after the paddy is harvested to avoid restricting the movements of wild elephants.”
Previously, a herd of 10 wild elephants damaged standing paddy crops during the harvesting season, causing hardship for farmers.
In response to a request from the Forest Department, Aaranyak and WWF collaborated to install the solar fence in Maliata village on November 1, with an extension installed on November 7.
Aaranyak experts provided guidance during the installation of the one-kilometer solar fence, which protects around 300 households in the area.
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Local farmers, led by D.D. Boro of Gossaihat village, supported the installation. The farmers are pleased because “elephants cannot damage their paddy after the installation of the solar fence, allowing them to harvest the crop properly.”
Materials for the solar fence were provided through the collaboration between Aaranyak and WWF. Aaranyak officials Anjan Baruah and Bijoy Kalita oversaw the installation work with the support of local farmers.
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