Guwahati: Aaranyak, a research-oriented biodiversity conservation organisation, has completed the installation of an 11-kilometer-long solar-powered fence encompassing 17 villages on the outskirts of Raimona National Park (RNP) in Kokrajhar district, Assam. This initiative aims to alleviate the ongoing human-elephant conflict (HEC) and provide relief to 870 households residing in the area.
Implemented in two phases, the project received support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), in collaboration with the local community and the Forest Department of Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), Assam.
Under the supervision of Aaranyak’s resource team, community members were trained in the maintenance and monitoring of the solar fence prior to its installation. The fence, spanning 6.55 kilometers and powered by solar energy, consists of a single wire electric fence. It safeguards 600 households across 11 villages, namely Takampur, Pulodabri, Araisopara, East Takampur, Santipur, Bharatpur, Bharatnagar-Adivasi Basti, Susilpur, Baganpara, Nepalipara, and Nabin Nagar, all falling under Kachugaon Block.
The installation process, initiated on January 29 with the erection of posts and clearance of weeds, concluded on February 12, ensuring enhanced protection for local communities against elephant intrusions.
In the first phase of the project, Aaranyak installed a 4-kilometer-long single-wire solar electric fence covering six fringe villages of RNP in August last year. These villages, including Dom Bazar, Hazariguri, Nandipur-1, Nandipur-2, Gwajanpur, and Lotamari-1, were safeguarded, benefiting 270 households.
The majority of the population in these villages belongs to the indigenous Bodo tribe. Throughout the fence installation process, local community members, whose livelihoods and residences are shielded by the solar fence from wild elephant encroachments, actively contributed by providing posts and labor.
The Aaranyak team, comprising Anjan Baruah, Jibon Chetry, Dibakar Nayak, Bijoy Kalita, Rupam Gayari, and Ripunjoy Nath, played instrumental roles in executing both phases of the Raimona community-managed solar fence project.
The total length of the solar fence surrounding the RNP now amounts to 17.05 kilometers. Previously, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) installed a 6.5-kilometer-long fence to protect six fringe villages, benefiting 298 households in Santipur, Hadanpur, Golcipara, No.3 Rupnathpur, Bathawguri, and Takanpur.
For further updates and information, residents and stakeholders are encouraged to reach out to Aaranyak or visit their official website.
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