Guwahati, March 13: A two-kilometer long solar powered fence has been energized at Lahapara revenue village in Goalpara district and handed over to the local community on March 10 in order to secure lives and property of about 450 villagers from 70 households of dominant Rabha tribe community in a human elephant conflict (HEC) situation.
The Lahapara village is situated under Lakhipur circle of Goalpara district which is within a HEC hotspot zone.
In that occasion the Range officer of Lakhipur Range Dharmendra Das inaugurated the fence cutting the ceremonial ribbon in presence of around 80 people including women. The meeting for the occasion was organized by the village community led by Bankim Rabha of Lahapara village and presided over by the village Headman Jasawanta Rabha.
The local community of Lahapara village felicitated the Aaranyak team and Lakhipur forest range office staff involved in installation of the stretch of solar fence.
The Lakhipur Range officer Dharmendra Das and Forester Dhon Chandra Doloi addressed the community members focusing on the joint effort of Aaranyak, Forest Department and local community to mitigate the raging HEC situation.
The Range Officer also talked about plantation of trees including bamboo to improve the habitat of elephants.
Aaranyak’s official Anjan Baruah talked on the functioning and maintenance of the solar fence meant for mitigating the HEC and facilitating coexistence. He also referred on lemon bio-fence for a long-term solution of HEC.
The Aaranyak team was comprising Swapan Das, Ripunjoy Nath, Bijoy Kalita and Rahit Nath worked tirelessly in the field with Forest Department staff and local community members in the process of installation of the solar fence.
An MoU was signed among the local community of Lahapara, Range officer, Lakhipur Forest Range and Aaranyak team before formally handing over the solar fence to the solar fence management committee and local villagers.