Establishing a Cost-Effective Solar Fence to Reduce Human-Elephant Conflict near Raimona National Park
Guwahati, August 14: On World Elephant Day, celebrated on August 12, the residents of Dumbazar, Amritpur, Oxiguri, Raimona, Charaigaon, Janali, and Bongaon inaugurated a 16 km long single strand cost-effective solar fence installed in the southern portion of Raimona National Park with support from WWF-India in collaboration with the Kachugaon Forest Division of Assam Forest Department, WTI, and Aaranyak. Among the dignitaries present were Mr. Suman Mohapatro, CHD, BTC Forest; Bhanu Sinha, DFO Kachugaon, Mr. Anupam Sarmah, Team Leader, Brahmaputra Landscape, WWF-India; Mr. Sanatan Deka, Manager, Manas Landscape, WTI; Mr. Sunit Das, Associate Coordinator, WWF-India; and Mr. David Smith, Associate Coordinator, WWF-India.
Installed along the periphery of seven villages and over 2,498 households, this fence was carefully designed for its easy maintenance. A fence maintenance committee selected by the local people has been set up for its management.
Raimona was declared a National Park in 2021. Covering an area of 422 sq. km, it is a part of the Ripu-Chirang Elephant Reserve, located in the Kokrajhar district of Assam, and is home to key species including the tiger and elephant, and is known for the largest population of the Golden Langur, an endangered primate.
Interactions between humans and elephants here are common. The solar fence offers a low-cost and effective means to reduce elephant-human conflict and reduce human as well as elephant casualties. In 2023, an 11 km solar fence was installed at the southern boundary of Raimona benefitting around 247 households in four villages - Rupnathpur, Takampur, Santipur and Bathouguri. Modelled such that it does not affect the movement of other animals including livestock and wild ungulates, the solar fence is monitored by the community as well as the Forest Department for its upkeep and functioning.
As per the 2017 elephant population estimation, Assam has the second-highest population of 5,719 elephants in the country. Between 2014 and 2022, about 208 elephants have died because of unnatural causes and over 561 people due to human-elephant encounters.
