A solar-powered fence is now standing tall as a ‘lifeline’ for the residents of a remote village in Assam that has been historically devastated by conflict with wild elephants.
The 2.5-kilometer-long single-strand solar fence will protect Besorkona and No.1 Pukhuripara villages in the Goalpara district of Assam from wild elephants. The initiative is a part of the sustained efforts made by the Elephant Research and Conservation Division of Aarayak.
The low-cost solar fencing which is also called ‘our lifeline’, will not only protect our lives and homes but empower all the women in the village who now carry on with their vocations of choices besides the routine household chores without any fear, said Kingish Koch, a mother of two young daughters and a leading woman in remote Besorkona Kochpara hamlet in Goalpara district of Assam.
The installation of the solar fence has brought an end to the constant fear and harassment faced by the residents of the village. The wild elephants used to enter the village at night and search for food. The situation had become so dire that the women had to gather their children and elderly in the household and run for safety.
The installation of the solar fence has not only prevented the elephants from entering the village, but has also allowed the women to resume their normal work and leisure activities. They are now able to spend time with their families and friends without any fear of attack. The solar fence has also been instrumental in improving the health of the community as a whole. The villagers are now able to eat, sleep, work at peace, and are also reporting a significant improvement in their health.
The installation of the solar fence is a clear example of how technology can be used to protect and preserve human lives. The initiative is expected to have a positive impact on the lives of the people living in Besorkona and No.1 Pukhuripara villages and their families. The solar fence will act as a physical barrier that will prevent the elephants from entering the area, and it will also provide a safe and secure place for the children and families to play and interact.
A solar-powered fence is indeed a useful way of protecting crops from wild elephants and other herbivores. There is a need to promote such fences in villages and tea gardens of the north-east. Kudos to Aaranyak for the work that they have done. But the reporter has painted a rosy and exaggerated picture of the potential of such fences. Solar fence is not a physical barriers as claimed. It is just a psychological barrier which works on the fear created on the elephant through the electric shock. If this shock is not good enough (which is a common feature of poorly maintained solar fences), the elephants will not respect the fence. So, there is no reason for the villagers to drop their guard against the elephants and they should continue to continue to observe necessary precautions. The newsreport mentions that it is a single-strand fence which is a matter of worry. The design prescribed by the experts envisages a minimum of three stands, two live stands laid at 1 m and 2 m from the ground to prevent elephants of different sizes, and an earth-wire to maintain the intensity of the electric shock. A three stand-solar fence of 0.8 km length is much more efficient and durable than a single-strand solar fence of 2.5 km length mentioned in the report. The State Forest Department and the Panchayat Bodies should come forward to supplement the work being done by Aaranyak and promote properly designed power fences in the rural areas of Assam.