Guwahati, Oct 29: As part of its sustained efforts to mitigate human elephant conflict (HEC) and facilitate coexistence, prominent biodiversity conservation organization Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org) has energised total 10.55 kilometres community-managed solar fence in two different areas near Raimona National Park (RNP) in Kokrajhar district of Assam.
The fence has been implemented in two phases under a project sponsored by the USFWS and in collaboration with the Forest Department and local community.
One portion of the solar fence is around 4 km in length which covers six villages while the second part covers 11 villages inhabited by indigenous Bodo tribes. The local community played an important role by contributing fence posts and labour during the installation of the two stretches of the solar powered fence that are meant to protect their crop and property.
Both the stretches of solar fence were formally inaugurated and handed over to the community-based solar fence management committees of both the areas on October 22 this year.
The forest official of Central Range of Raimona National Park Daisa Daimary and VCDC chairman Binoy Basumatary formally inaugurated the fence at Araishopara village. The VCDC chairman presided over the meeting.
Subsequently the two stretches of solar fence were handed over to the local community and respective solar fence committees after signing of an MoU between Forest Department, Aaranyak and local community in presence of a tea from Aaranyak comprising Anjan Baruah, Swapan Das and Jibon Chetry.
The headman of Araishopara village Pranjit Basumatary took lead in organizing the fence inauguration programme which was participated by about 50 persons from Araishopara and nearby villages including the headman of Takampur village Baman Singh Basumatary, headman of East Takampur village Ansumwi Basumatary and Rijoy Nurzery.
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.