Guwahati: A solar-powered fence has been restored in Uttarkuchi village of Assam’s Baksa district to help protect more than 1,500 residents and their agricultural lands from recurring human-elephant conflict (HEC).
The fence was formally handed over to the local community on May 25 by biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department, with support from the SBI Foundation.
The newly installed fence protects nearly 55 hectares of agricultural land and directly benefits nine neighbourhoods, locally known as chubas, comprising 370 households and around 1,580 residents. Most families in the area depend on agriculture as their primary source of livelihood.
Uttarkuchi is located in one of Assam’s major human-elephant conflict hotspots, where villagers have long faced crop losses and safety concerns due to frequent elephant movement through farmlands and settlements.
The new installation replaces an older solar-powered fence that was set up in 2013 and had served as an important mitigation measure for several years. Managed by a locally formed Solar Fence Management Committee, the earlier system gradually became non-functional between 2019 and 2020 due to technical and equipment-related issues.
According to Aaranyak, the local community continued to view the solar-powered fence as an effective and wildlife-friendly solution that helped reduce conflict while allowing elephants to move through their traditional corridors without harm.
Recognising its benefits, villagers expressed a strong desire to restore the fence to safeguard their crops, property and lives.
Responding to the community’s request, Aaranyak and the Forest Department undertook the reinstallation of the fence with financial support from the SBI Foundation and active participation from local residents.
The official handover programme was attended by representatives of the Forest Department, community leaders and local organisations, including the Gaon Pradhan, the Manas Souchi Ecotourism Society, the All Bodo Students’ Union, the All Assam Madahi Students’ Union and the Uttarkuchi Market Committee. Around 40 community members participated in the event.
The fence system has now been formally entrusted to the Uttarkuchi Solar Fencing Management Committee and the local community, which will be responsible for its operation, management and maintenance.
Addressing the gathering, Aaranyak Deputy Executive Director Dr Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar and the Gaon Pradhan stressed the importance of collective ownership, regular maintenance and adherence to safety protocols to ensure the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of the system.
Aaranyak representatives present at the programme included Executive Committee member Kaushik Barua, Deputy Head of the Elephant Research and Conservation Division (ERCD) Hiten Baishya, Assistant Manager Anjan Baruah, and team members Rabiya Daimari, Abhijit Saikia, Anushka Saikia, Jiban Chetry, Bistirna Buragohain, Bijoy Kalita and Pradip Barman.
Human-elephant conflict remains a major conservation and livelihood challenge across several districts of Assam, particularly in areas bordering forests and wildlife habitats. Conservationists say community-managed mitigation measures such as solar-powered fencing can play an important role in reducing crop damage, improving human safety and promoting coexistence between people and wildlife.
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